Roses have thorns, but petals are soft
by siriuslymerlin
Summary: Jinx is a smart and talented girl. She's strong, independent, and powerful. She doesn't need a team, and she certainly doesn't need some boy hanging in her periphery, smirking at her and flashing those stupid blue eyes at her.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! I love Jinx and KF together, and I'm sad that we didn't get more of them, but the mantra of 2020 is "create your own happiness" so that's what we're doing, folks! Flinx development in the context of fighting crime! Enjoy!**

Jinx has never felt so lost in her life.

She can't go back to the HIVE Five, nor does she have anywhere else to go. She ends up wandering the side streets of Jump city into the early hours of the morning. Jinx finds herself back near the docks, where she'd let Kid Flash escape earlier. She still has the rose, tucked deep in the pockets of her dress. Every now and then, she brushes her fingers over the silken petals, but it just makes her feel more unsure.

She sits at the edge of a dock, watching the early morning sun rise. Jinx kicks her feet, if only to have something to do. She needs to figure out what to do next.

She can't go back, but she can't go anywhere else. The Brotherhood of Evil is out too, considering she blasted Madam Rouge with all she had. She needs somewhere to lay low for a while, figure her head out.

Jinx pulls herself up and makes her way to the nearest gas station. She needs a disguise probably, maybe some civilian clothes or something. She ducks in after some trucker, taking care to stay out of the camera's views. Jinx skirts around, snatching articles of clothing and slipping into the bathroom.

Jinx changes fast, then wrestles her hair down under a ball cap. Her own clothes are shoved into one of the trash bags on top of the hand dryers.

There's a crisis hostel on the east side of the city, far from Titans Tower. No doubt that new kid's been house sitting for them. Jinx makes her way there, head down. It's a little rundown, but she'll be able to stay for at least a few days.

Inside, she walks up to the front desk, putting on her most pitiful face. She's been here once before, when she was thirteen. She'd been fresh out of Junior HIVE Academy, but she hadn't been sure she'd wanted to go back.

"Name?" Asks the bored looking woman at the desk.

"Jui Nayak," she says. She hasn't said that name in a while—it doesn't even feel like hers anymore—but it'll do for now. The woman asks a few more questions before assigning her a room and telling her the curfew. The door buzzes open and Jinx troops in, finding her room and dumping her things on the floor beside the sparse bed. She flops down, a yawn slipping through her lips.

The exhaustion catches up to her and she closes her eyes, promising herself she'll only take a quick nap.

"_Subject JN, case X. Commence probability test one." Jemma's pushed into the little steel room despite her protests. She's six years old and newly orphaned. Instead of being shipping off to a foster home, she ended up here. They think she can do something special, but she's just a little girl, there's nothing special about her. _

"_JN-X, start flipping the quarter." They don't call her Jemma in here, only "JN-X" like that means something. It's only a couple letters, not enough for a real word, let alone a name. Still, she does what she's told, flipping the quarter. It comes up tails every time. _

_After a few hours of this, she's let out and led into another little room. There, she gets something to eat and a little rest. For some reason, she's exhausted. A man in a white lab coat guards the door, writing something on his little clip board. Jemma can't help the anger that rises in her; why won't he talk to her?_

"_Hey!" she says sharply. The air crackles with electricity, and her dark hair stands on edge. The guard says nothing. "Hey!"_

_Suddenly, energy builds inside her until it gets to be too much, ripping through her effortlessly and out of her fingers. She hits the guard square on, and he flinches, jumping away. He fumbles for his radio and says something into it, too frantic for Jemma to understand._

_Suddenly, four other guards burst into the room, two of them grab onto her, grip punishing. She squirms and thrashes, but they don't let up. Jemma screams and the electricity runs through her again. _

Jinx jerks awake, breathing hard. She shudders at the dream, pulling her knees up and tucking her head in between them. It's been a decade since that happened, and she's not a little girl trapped in a lab anymore. She's strong and capable and no one's going to hurt her again.

She peeks out the window and sighs when she sees that the sun is starting to set. So much for a short nap. She's sort of hungry, but there are more pressing matters. Firstly, she needs her things. Curfew's already hit, so she can't go out the front door, so Jinx sends a small hex to the window, snapping the "immovable" lock. Deftly, she slips out, hurrying through the darkening streets.

Breaking into HIVE Five tower is effortless. She wasn't top of her class for nothing. She feels a little sick when she thinks that, instead of the pride she usually feels. In her room, she finds a duffle and stuffs it full of clothes, both villainous and civilian. On top, she dumps her art supplies and a sketchbook. Finally, she grabs a few rolls of cash, several bands of hundreds from their last heist.

She creeps into the kitchen, giving in to her rumbling stomach. She's so busy scarfing down whatever she can get her hands on, she doesn't notice See-more come into the kitchen until it's too late.

"Jinx?" he asks. "Where have you been?"

She freezes, panicked. See-more had seen her let Kid Flash go and take down Madam Rouge, but he made no move to grab her, nor did the others come rushing in.

"Did you tell them?" See-more shakes his head, crossing his arms.

"I'm giving you a chance to do the right thing," he says. Jinx wants to laugh. The right thing? She doesn't even know what she's doing, and certainly not enough to make a choice.

"What's that?" she mocks. "Come crawling back to you idiots?"

See-more has the audacity to look hurt before his features harden up. He scoffs, one hand going up to his headband. Before he can turn the dial, Jinx sends a hex his way, knocking him back. She dashes past him, but he's up faster than she anticipated. He grabs her arm and yanks her back to face him. For someone as small as him, See-more's grip is strong.

"You can't leave!" he hisses. "We need you!"

"Let me go!" Jinx thrashes in his grasp, but he won't let up. Suddenly, she's being dragged too close, and See-more presses his lips to hers in a harsh approximation of a kiss. It's bruising and she's so surprised she goes stock still. See-more takes that as submission and loosens his grip just enough. Jinx pulls away roughly and sends her fist flying into his face.

"What do you think you're doing?" she snarls.

"I love you," he gasps, clutching his jaw. "Can't that be enough for you to stay?"

"I don't what gave you the impression that you could kiss me, but I'm _really _not looking for a boyfriend right now." She knows this room like the back of her hand, and there's a good chance she could take the kitchen door to the loading dock before any of the other HIVE members catch wind of what's going on.

"What?!" See-more exclaims, voice louder than she appreciates. She can get past him, but the all of the others? Maybe not. "You're nice to me! I'm nice to you!"

"I don't owe you anything!" With that, Jinx blasts him with all her might, sound be damned. She sprints to the kitchen door as fast as she can, not looking behind her. She whizzes down the stairs at breakneck speeds and she can't help but think of Kid Flash. Gasping, she hightails it out of the HIVE Five complex.

Off-handedly, she wonders what the young speedster might think. She convinces herself she doesn't care.

Jinx doesn't stay at the hostel long.

She ducks out the next day, leaving some money. They don't charge anything, but the place looks rundown. They could do with some paint, at least.

She ends up renting a room out of the seediest motel she can find, far from Titans Tower and the HIVE Five complex. She ducks out most nights, wandering, trying to get her head clear and figure out a plan.

One night, she takes a few aimless turns and ends up in a dark alley. The streetlamp barely flickers, casting out a weak yellow glow. Jinx kicks a pebble as she walks, barely paying attention to her surroundings. Suddenly, there's a cry from around the corner. It sounds like a girl, old enough to be out by herself at this time, but too young to be alone. Jinx can't help but creep closer. She calls it curiosity.

Sure enough, there's a teenage girl pressed up against a wall, arms up to protect herself. A man stands before her, tugging at her dress. He's much bigger than her.

She's not sure if it's pent up anger at her own restlessness, but _something _propels Jinx forwards. She casts an expert hex at the man, throwing him at the other wall. There's a sick crack and the man groans, but he makes no move to get up. The girl trembles, tears cutting tracks through the grime on her face.

"Are you okay?" Jinx asks, keeping her distance. "Are you hurt?"

"Not, not very badly," the girl stutters, voice weak.

"Can you walk?" Jinx doesn't like the way she's leaning on the wall, like she'll fall if she doesn't.

"I think so," she answers. Carefully, the girl stands on her own, teetering in her heels.

"Follow me, there's a police station three blocks from here," Jinx says. She's been there enough to know. "They'll help you from there."

The girl doesn't move, eyes still wide with fear. Jinx knows how that feels, alone and scared, unsure which way to turn. She's been this girl before. Although, back then, it had been Brother Blood that came to her rescue, asking her to come back to HIVE Academy.

"I won't hurt you, I swear," Jinx promises. She means it, too. Her heart breaks a little for the girl.

"You promise?" she asks, taking a tentative step forwards her. Jinx nods, holding out her hand. The girl takes it and together, Jinx walks to the precinct. She leaves her across the street from it, hurrying back into the shadows, lest she get caught.

The girl's escorted in by a cop, who drapes her jacket over the girl's thin shoulders. Relief breaks in waves all over Jinx's body, strange in a way she's never felt before.

There are other nights like those.

Sometimes, she stops a mugging, or helps someone hopelessly lost find their way again. One time, she faces down a gunman, sending hex after hex until he's down. She wrenches the gun from his broken fingers and destroys it.

The strangest thing is, she feels good doing this. There's something in the way that people look at her—the people she saves—that makes her feel like no heist could ever. Her adrenaline rushes and her powers grow.

Three weeks pass like this until the strangest thing happens. She sees Kid Flash again.

**A/N: Some things to note: Jinx is an Indian character, and let's be honest, I love strong desi females. Jui is a hindi girl name pronounce "zoo-ee" or "juu-ee". Let me know what you thought! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello! Welcome back! We're getting into the finale of Teen Titans—well, the episodic finale. After this, the plan is to delve into some mini adventures for flinx and focus on the main mission, the main plot of this piece. Enjoy!**

It was a rare day when Jinx left her hotel room while the sun was still out, but she was out of everything edible. Sighing, and groggy from her strange sleep schedule, Jinx makes her way to midtown. She wears a grubby baseball cap over her pink hair, though static sent it floating up, fighting to defy gravity, and a denim jacket over her dress. She tries not to wear it often, in case anyone recognized it, but everything else was dirty. Besides, the dresses' built in suppressers keep her powers more focused.

Before she can get to the supermarket, there's an almighty crash and Kid Flash himself is thrown bodily at her feet.

"Kid Flash?" she asks, frozen in her spot. He groans a little but smiles tiredly up at her.

"Hey," he says, clambering to his feet. "Give me a second to deal with something and I'll catch up to you—" A scream cuts him off, and suddenly, civilians take off running. Kid Flash's expression hardens for a moment before he puts on a breezy smile and sending a wink her way.

"Hey!" Jinx calls, sprinting after him. Of course, he's gone before she can go further than a few feet, but she runs the direction he went regardless. She comes to an abrupt halt when a car flies through the air, headed in her direction. Jinx screams, arms up to cast at it, but before she can, she's zoomed away to safety. Kid Flash stays just long enough to give her a perplexed look before charging off to get the rest of the civilians out of the way.

Jinx looks around wildly before she zeros in on the cause of the chaos. Private HIVE makes his way up the street, flinging his shield at Kid Flash. It's a testament to the speedster's skill that no civilians get hurt. Of course, as Jinx watches, she realizes he's not going to be able to do this himself. He's fast, but PH isn't giving him any room to make a move, and all he can do is dodge attacks.

With a reluctant groan, Jinx launches herself into the battle, casting a powerful hex PH's way. It catches him by surprise, but it's enough to give Kid Flash room to charge him. Of course, PH retaliates, smashing his shield into Kid Flash while he tries to wrangle him into handcuffs. Jinx focuses hard, trying the change the odds.

Jinx and Kid Flash work together, yelling out suggestions and warnings until finally, several minutes later, PH is wrestled into a pair of handcuffs. Kid Flash grabs him and dashes off, headed towards the nearest police station. Jinx stays where she is, gasping as she tries to catch her breath.

The hero's back a few minutes later, with the strangest look on his face. If Jinx didn't know any better, she'd say it was elation.

"You helped me!" he says excitedly. "I knew you were different."

"I… you, well, you couldn't have done it by yourself," Jinx sputters, her pallid complexion coloring slightly. "You're not _that _good." To her surprise, Kid Flash only laughs, running a hand through his already tousled red hair.

"Maybe not, but we made one heck of a team," he says, stepping closer. He's actually quite good-looking, this close. His skin is a warm beige that reminds her of sunshine and his eyes are the most brilliant blue she's seen, brighter than any sapphire.

"I'm kind of over teams right now," she says, looking around desperately for an escape route. There's something about him that makes her embarrassed, like she might fumble her words or something equally stupid.

"I heard you left the HIVE Five," he says conversationally. "I was wondering what you were up to."

"How'd you hear that?" she asks. Are people talking? Are the HIVE Five doing heists without her?

"Your old crew's not exactly conspicuous. I caught them at the Jump City Natural History Museum, trying to steal the latest exhibit," Kid Flash explains. Jinx groans internally. Morons.

"They in jail or something?" Jinx asks, staring down at her shoes. Kid Flash steps even closer, the smile on his face impossible to miss.

"They were, but there's been a pretty massive breakout. That's why I was on patrol. Titan's are still gone," he says.

"Should you be telling me all this?" Jinx asks sardonically. "I could still be a bad guy, for all you know."

"Nah," he says breezily. "I know you're not. A bad guy wouldn't have helped me today." Jinx is pretty sure her cheeks are the same color as her hair by now, she needs to bounce.

"Well, don't get used to it," she says curtly, which somehow only serves to make him smile wider.

"But we make such an awesome pair," he counters teasingly. Jinx huffs, turning pointedly away from him.

"I have to go," she says. "Groceries don't buy themselves."

"Need a hand? Someone to carry your bags?" he offers, eyebrows waggling.

Before she can respond, Kid Flash's communicator buzzes, Jump City PD flashing on the display. With a frown, he flips open the communicator, hitting the speaker.

"Go for Kid Flash," he says, all business.

"It's a mad house! Precinct 19! Metahuman prisoners have escaped!" An officer's panicked voice comes from the speaker, tinny and fuzzy with static. The man screams before the line goes dead, static fuzz loud over the speaker.

"Crap!" Kid Flash exclaims. "There's, like, ten different villains in there."

"Can you manage that?" Jinx asks. She's not worried about him, per say, she's worried about… the traffic situation this will cause. This'll make for stand-still traffic and she has errands to run.

"Not on my own," he says seriously. "Look, I know it's a lot to ask, and I can't guarantee your safety—"

"It's fine," Jinx cuts him off. "Lead the way."

The second time she partners with Kid Flash is an absolute and utter mess.

They only take down six out of ten villains, and Jinx has to dodge policemen who think she's part of the villains. They stare at her suspiciously despite Kid Flash's assurances that she's one of the good guys. Privately, she thinks that's pretty debatable.

"Thank you," he says sincerely. They're both sitting on one of the benches outside the bullpen, catching their breathe.

"For what? Four of those guys escaped. They're all part of the brotherhood." Jinx stares down at her feet, trying to swallow back the disappointment. Somehow, this failure felt different than the others she'd endured. Back then, if they didn't pull off a heist, only the team would be affected. Now, though, with all those villains on the loose, there's no telling who might get hurt. Jinx tries not to wonder when she started caring so much about the other people getting hurt.

"I know, but we got most of them. We can go back out tomorrow and look for them," Kid Flash assures her. Jinx looks up to find him smiling sheepishly. "That is, if you want to help."

"I'll help," she says. "It's partly my fault anyways."

Just then, Kid Flash's communicator goes haywire, buzzing with an incoming message from Robin.

"_Calling all Titans. The Brotherhood of Evil's been using our communicators to track us. Destroy immediately—"_

Before the message can continue, Kid Flash slams the communicator down, pounding his heel against it repeated.

"I think you destroyed it," Jinx says.

"Of course!" Kid Flash groans. "The communicators! This means every Titan's out there by themselves. They probably don't know where to go or who to turn to."

"What if," Jinx says slowly, grimacing at the idea that's just occurred to her. "This was a hit."

"A hit? On who?" Kid Flash asks dumbly. Jinx sighs, thinking back. The Brotherhood had promised them membership if they could prove themselves, and in order to do that, they'd had to turn in every resource they had on the Titans.

"You," she says. "Or at least, the Titans."

"You really think so? You knew them, do you have any information that could help?" he asks.

"They had us all on the backburner. That's why I was trying so hard to capture you," she explains. "They wanted us to prove ourselves. We—the HIVE Five, I mean—turned in all our resources on the Titans."

"So, what? Use the communicators to track down all the Titans and do what with them?" he asks, sifting through the rubble of the communicator.

"Paris!" Jinx blurts suddenly. It was the only option that made sense. Why not bring the Titans to an unfamiliar city, one the Brotherhood knew by heart, and destroy them, one by one.

"Take them to Paris?" Jinx nods eagerly.

"That's where three of the four leaders originate. Think about it, it's unfamiliar territory, there aren't any outside resources, and the city's ancient. There's plenty of places to hide a lair there," she explains. He nods, smiling brilliantly.

"Jinx, I could kiss you!" he exclaims, hopping to his feet. He goes rigid for a second, before turning back to her, red faced. "Not that I would, I mean, without your express permission—"

"Okay, got it," she mumbles, eager to cut him off. She can feel the heat emanating from her cheeks. "So, how do we get to Paris?"

"You'd come with me?" he asks, surprised. "To help? Even if it meant facing down your old team?"

"There's no telling what will happen if the Brotherhood succeeds. Also, there's at least ten different Titans in trouble," Jinx says.

"Try thirty," Kid Flash corrects with a smile. "You'd really help us?"

"No one deserves what the Brotherhood is capable of," Jinx says. "Not even people who actively hate me."

At that, Kid Flash beams at her, sweeping her up into his arms. Jinx screams when he takes off running, but she feels safe, encased in his strong arms.

After the fight, every Titan gives her a wide berth, save for Kid Flash. He stands right by her, chin up in defiance, like he was daring someone to say something. Robin gives a quiet sigh before approaching. Jinx can't help but take a tentative step back. Muscle memory, she figures.

"Thank you," say the Boy Wonder. "You came to help us."

"Sure," she says, dumbstruck. Raven gives her a quizzical look and Cyborg scratches his head. Jinx tries not to look at him.

"She's not a villain anymore," Kid Flash says forcefully. "She helped me when Private HIVE came to take me out. And she stayed to help us out. I'm vouching for her."

"Okay," Robin says. "It's not like this is a completely new situation."

"People change," Starfire says. "Please, let us give her an opportunity to be good."

"Fine by me!" Beast Boy chimes in. Cyborg stays silent, mulling this over.

"She's smart, powerful, and good in a fight," he says finally. "I think she should join the team."

"Titans?" Robin asks, looking around the room. "Opinions." There's a low murmur throughout the room before Bumblebee steps up, shrugging.

"I agree with sparky over here," she says. "And she knows a ton of villains. It'd be useful information to have."

Robin looks at Jinx critically before turning to the team. "Let's decide when we get back. We deserve some rest and Jinx needs time to think."

"Home," Beast Boy sighs dreamily. "Tofu burger, here I come!"

The Titans leave in groups, all headed for the main tower. Kid Flash hangs around Jinx, walking next to her.

"So," he says. "What do you think?"

"About what?" Jinx says innocently. She knows what, but there's a lot to consider. Namely, if she'd be safe with the Titans. Every single villain knows she's betrayed them, so she's got a giant target on her.

"Becoming a Titan," he offers patiently.

"I need to think," she mutters. He nods, leading her over to the portal Herald is holding open. Jinx shivers as she goes through, disoriented for a second at the sudden feeling of weightlessness. On the other side is the Titans tower. Beast Boy runs around like a puppy, reacquainting himself with his home. It makes Jinx crack a smile.

Young heroes mill about everywhere, raiding the kitchen, sprawling on couches. Cyborg fires up his game console and starts a tournament. Raven floats up to the ceiling, taking up a meditative stance. Starfire, Bumblebee, and a couple other girls Jinx didn't know sit in a circle, talking and laughing about the battle.

Kid Flash watches the video game tournament with longing in his eyes, but he doesn't stray from Jinx's side. She hides a smile and pushes him gently.

"Go ahead," she says. "Get your butt kicked."

"I'll have you know that I'm the king of Mega Martial Fight," he says with a smirk. His expression softens a little. "You sure?"

"I'm a big girl, you don't have to babysit me," she says. Kid Flash nods distractedly, zipping over to snag a controller.

Jinx wanders a little, unsure. She's never been invited in here before, though she's not totally sure she is. She's so lost in taking in the details of the place and it's heroes, she doesn't notice Robin come up beside her. Although, they don't call him Boy Wonder for nothing.

"I realize it's a lot to take in," he says, startling Jinx.

"God!" Jinx gasps. "Don't sneak up on me like that." Robin takes a step back, nodding once.

"If you want to do this, you're going to have to prove you're reformed. I've known Kid Flash for a while now, and I trust him, but I also know he's sort of a sucker for a pretty face." Jinx nods, trying to keep her expression from falling. Of course, she should've figured. They weren't going to trust her, she'd be stupid to expect anything else.

"I get it," she says. "All I want is a chance."

"I know enough to understand that doing bad thing doesn't necessarily make you a bad person," he explains. "We'd have to see a lot of changes from you, and you'd have to let us monitor you. You wouldn't be able to contact your old team either."

"I figured," she says casually. "All those guys sort want me dead now." At that, Robin frowns.

"We won't be able to guarantee your safety," he says slowly. Jinx flushes.

"I know that too!" she says hurriedly. "I was just saying I wouldn't have any reason to contact them, nor do I want to."

Robin sighs, appraising her for a moment. She doesn't know what it is, but there's something about Robin that reminds her of the scientists from the lab she'd spent her childhood in. She figures it's got something to do with the authority he commands.

"It's going to be hard to live like this, I won't lie, but if you stick with it, it'll be worth it," he says.

"I don't want to go back to how I used to live," Jinx confesses. At this, Robin smiles, a strange thing to see.

"That's all I needed to hear."

**A/N: Tune in next week for team dynamics and awkward bonding exercises. Let me know what you thought, comments, concerns, anything. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Back at it again with the regular updates! But three does not a pattern make, so hold me accountable. Enjoy!**

The Titans linger for a few days, taking down the few morons who are dumb enough to threaten the city while there are thirty Titans in town. In the interim, Kid Flash lingers, hanging out with her, reminding her to eat, and just generally making things light. On the fourth day of this, Jinx realizes he's trying to prove to the other Titans that she can be trusted.

People approach her slowly, barely warming to her. She's fine, she'd been expecting this, but it still stings a little.

On the fifth day, Titans begin to take their leave, heading back to their own cities. Finally, it's just Jinx, the original Titans, and Kid Flash. They're all sitting in the living room, the boys playing video games while Starfire cooks and Raven leads Jinx through a meditation exercise. Somehow, it's easier to meditate out here, instead of cooped up in Raven's room, cool as it might be. Jinx can admit she finds the demi-demon intimidating.

"Are you sure the Flash won't mind, KF?" Robin asks him. "I'm sure Central City needs you."

"Nah, I'm alright here," he answers breezily. "Better to beat your high scores."

"Not a chance," Robin promises him, wicked smirk on his face. Of course, Cyborg kicks both of their butts.

"You need to relax more," Raven says, her voice a low, gravelly rasp. "Are you sure you don't want to go up to the roof?"

"I'm more relaxed in here." The whole point of the meditation is so that Raven can get into Jinx's head with her losing control of her powers, so she could understand Jinx's true intentions and whether she was planning on betraying them. The first time Raven had tried this, Jinx had lost it so bad, she'd ripped a hole through one of the containment room walls. That hadn't done her any favors in the trust department.

"He can come with if you like," Raven concedes, eyes flicking to where Kid Flash is waving his controller above Beast Boy's head, zipping away anytime the changeling makes a move.

"I don't need him to hold my hand." Jinx's voice is a near-snarl and she sighs. So far, this being nice all the time thing is proving difficult. "On second thought, let's go to the roof."

"Wait, please, friends!" Starfire chimes in. "I too will partake in the meditation." The alien in question floats after them, hovering inches off the ground. Together, they make their way to the roof, sitting in a triangle on the practice ground. They sit cross-legged, backs straight, and palms up. Raven insists it's good for energy flow.

"Think of something calming, passive," Raven suggests, eyes closed. "Allow yourself to lower your guards."

"Easy for you to say," Jinx mutters. "You're not the one being mind-scanned."

"Please, friend Jinx," Starfire says softly. "It will not be painful, I assure you, but it must be done."

"I know," Jinx mumbles. She feels like a real ass being mean to Starfire, the friendliest person she knows. She's also the only person who's completely let go of their past together. For that, Jinx is grateful. She knows firsthand just how dangerous Starfire can get.

Jinx takes a deep breath, dropping her shoulders and holding her spine straight. She focuses exclusively on calming things. The smell of lavender… debugging lines of code… sapphire eyes.

At the edges of her consciousness, she can feel Raven's energy, but Jinx focuses harder on her calming things, keeping her guard down. It's hard work, she can feel the beginnings of physical pain coming on, but she ignores it resolutely. Fresh art supplies… unblemished canvas… brilliant wide smiles against faint freckles.

"You can release now." Raven's voice sounds far away and tinny, like it's coming through an old speaker. Jinx forces her eyes open, and suddenly, she's being bodily slammed back into consciousness. She gasps roughly, curling in on herself.

"Friend Jinx!" Starfire's voice is fleeting. Jinx can feel her own energy ripping through her insides, begging to be let loose. Jinx clamps down on it, holding tight. She won't blast the Titans, she _won't. _

"Focus," Raven urges, "find your control."

"Friend Jinx, you must not let your power control you. Embrace it and control it in turn," Starfire says. She sounds closer, somehow. Jinx sucks in a breath, finally getting a hold of her powers. She lets the energy crackle over her skin for a moment before pulling it back, like flexing a cramping muscle. Jinx sits up, breathing hard.

"I think I need some water," she croaks. To her absolute surprise—and utter embarrassment—Starfire sweeps her up in her surprisingly strong arms, floating away with Raven on her heels. The alien beauty turns a deaf ear to Jinx's protest.

The float in the living room, where Kid Flash spots them, zooming up with a worried look on his face.

"What's going on?" he demands. "What happened?"

Jinx squirms with all her might, doing everything short of shooting a hex at Starfire. That would be pretty badly received, no matter how embarrassed she is.

"I think you can let her down now, Star," Cyborg chuckles.

"I'm fine!" Jinx insists before Kid Flash can ask. Raven hands her a glass of water with a wry smile on her lips.

"Robin," she says simply, pointing her chin in the direction of the door. Robin follows Raven out, an uneasy expression on her face.

"What happened?" Kid Flash asks again, stepping closer to her.

"Ooh, did you get mind-scanned?" Beast Boy asks. "That always blows."

"I'm fine," Jinx repeats. Cyborg catches the look on her face, and maybe it's because he knows her a little better than any other Titan, but he gestures for everyone to back off, dragging Beast Boy and Starfire back to the video games. Kid Flash stays where he is, watching her drink. It should be creepy, but Jinx finds it almost sweet.

"Sure you're okay?" he asks softly. Jinx allows herself a peek at his pretty blue eyes before side stepping him to put the glass in the sink.

"Are you going deaf?" she snarks at him. Before he can respond, Raven and Robin come back into the room, expressions unreadable. Instantly, whatever good mood Kid Flash had managed to create dissipates as she waits for their verdict.

"Jinx," Robin says, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. "We'd like you to stay for training. We think you'd be a great asset to the team."

Jinx learns quickly that being a Titan is no picnic. She wouldn't call Robin a _tyrant, _exactly, but her vocabulary is sparse when it comes to describing someone who makes her wake up at the crack of dawn to train for hours.

After Robin's said she's done enough for the day—and this varies, she can never predict when he'll stop—she's sent to Starfire and Raven, to work on her hexes. They're a little more lenient, but Jinx suspects it's only due to Starfire's excitement for another girlfriend.

Their taking a water break when Starfire asks after her hair.

"Please, Jinx, take no offense, but I must ask, why shape your hair like that?" Jinx can't help the giggle that escapes.

"Their supposed to be pigtails," she explains. "The hair bands have built in insulators, so it was either this or a vertical ponytail."

"So, there will be no making over of the hair?" Starfire asks dejectedly. Jinx shakes her head, secretly relieved. She's not every good at this whole "girlfriends" thing. There were only a select number of girls at HIVE Academy, and they all hated each other.

Jinx can't help but notice that none of the girls here hate each other. They don't get jealous of each other and they don't fight, save for the occasional squabble. Raven and Starfire have very little in common, but they get along great.

"You can paint my nails if you want," Jinx offers shyly. Starfire lights up, giggling like a child. It's awfully sweet.

"Starfire's very good at that," Raven says in her gravely deadpan. Jinx has yet to decipher if she's kidding or not.

Just then, the door to the practice room opens up and Kid Flash, Robin, and Beast Boy come in, all laughing at someone's joke. Robin puts on a serious face and nods at Starfire.

"How's it going?" he asks.

"Very well, Robin!" Starfire says. "Jinx has learned much and her powers are getting stronger."

"Good to hear," Robin says with a smile. He and Kid Flash take the floor, so the girls move off to the side, exchanging quizzical looks. Robin's smile melts into a smirk as he faces the speedster. "So, who wants to watch me thrash KF?"

Raven rolls her eyes, producing a paperback from seemingly nowhere and flicking through the pages to find her spot. Beast Boy plops down besides Jinx, grinning from ear to ear, fangs on full display.

"Ten bucks Robin takes him out," he says. Jinx smirks, appraising the two young heroes circling each other.

"Easy money," Jinx says. "Kid Flash has superpowers."

"You're damn right," the hero in question says, shooting her a wink. Beast Boy shrugs good naturedly.

"I don't know, I've seen Robin win a lot of fights," he says teasingly.

"I agree," Starfire adds, sitting beside them. "I will also cast my vote for Robin."

"Raven?" Beast Boy asks hopefully.

"I don't bet," she deadpans. She's pensive for a moment, setting her book aside and watching the boys. "Are you guys going to start or not?"

"Sure," Robin says. "Beast Boy, call it."

"Fight!" he yells happily. Kid Flash charges Robin with everything he has, and in less than a second, Robin's sprawled out on the floor, wheezing. Kid Flash turns to Jinx with a smirk, flexing and preening like a superpowered peacock. With all his antics, he doesn't see Robin pop back up and launch himself through the air, land squarely on Kid Flash's back. They tussle for a moment, before Robin produces his bo staff, whacking Kid Flash soundly over the head.

The fight carries on for a few more minutes before Robin entangles Kid Flash in his grappling net. The speedster thrashes as fast as he can, but the friction doesn't burn through the ropes. Eventually, he goes limp, conceding. Robin turns to Starfire with a brilliant smile, obviously looking for attention. Jinx hides a smile at the idea of the Titans fearless leader with a schoolboy crush.

"Pay up!" Beast Boy crows, turning on the spot and doing a victory lap around the room in cheetah form. Mock-grumbling, Jinx fishes her wallet from the pockets of her dress and hands him the promised ten.

"Nice," she snarks at Kid Flash, who grins sheepishly at her. He comes to stand next to her, throwing a casual arm around her shoulders. Jinx goes stiff, but she doesn't push him away.

"Couldn't embarrass Robin in front of his girl," he explains. Jinx rolls her eyes.

"Oh, sure, you let him win out of the goodness of your heart," she deadpans. She wants to ask if he cares that she was watching, but Jinx has a feeling he'd never let that go.

"What can I say, I'm a saint," he says with an angelic smile. "Come on, Cyborg's making ribs!"

With that, Jinx is led to the main living room, where Cyborg is indeed whipping something up in the kitchen. It smells pretty amazing. Beast Boy, who Jinx has learned is vegan, pulls out a block of tofu and an obscene amount of condiments and spices.

"Don't get that tofu where I'm cooking!" Cyborg chastises, dodging the tofu like it might come alive and eat him.

"Don't get that meat where _I'm _cooking!" Beast Boy echoes. Raven floats lazily above the kitchen, like she's keeping watch.

"After we have the lunch, we will do the painting of the nails, yes?" Starfire asks, coming to sit next to Jinx on the couch. Before she can agree, Robin shakes his head.

"Sorry, Star, but I have a job I need Jinx's help on," he says. His expression is inscrutable behind his mask and it makes her a little nervous. Kid Flash, lounging next to her, straightens up.

"What's the job?" he asks. "I can lend a hand."

"Thanks, KF, but Jinx'll be enough," Robin says cryptically. "But I do need you later."

Kid Flash nods like he understands, sinking back against the couch cushions. Robin, who's got the remote, flips channels until he gets Jump City News.

"_After a strange few months of not seeing the Titans, they're finally back in their tower. And what's more? They've got friends with them." _

Pictures of some other recently dubbed Titans come onto the screen, complete with a little stats chart. Kid Flash grins up at his own picture.

"They picked a good one of me," he says. Robin snorts.

"It's not hard, you're always hanging around the press," he teases.

"I do not," Kid Flash exclaims, mock-outraged. "Besides, you just admitted that I look good."

"Man, you've got an ego the size of Metropolis," Robin tells him matter-of-factly.

"Food's up," Cyborg calls, already doling out portions of ribs. He heaps up two plates especially, keeping the bigger one for himself. Kid Flash smirks, a troubling glint in his eyes. In a nanosecond, he zips across the room, snagging Cyborg's plate and settling across the room.

"Thanks, Cy, looks great," he says smugly. Cyborg mutters darkly, snatching the plate meant for the Speedster. Jinx takes a plate and sits with Raven, picking at her food.

"You don't have to worry," Raven says softly. "We trust you; you're meant to be here."

"I…' Jinx sighs, forcing a smile. "Thanks." Raven quirks an eye, disbelieving, but she doesn't say anything else.

After lunch, Robin gestures for Jinx to follow, leading her into a computer room. It's a pretty solid set up, stations for each of the titans, each equipped with triple screens and the most powerful processors Jinx has seen.

"So, what's the job?" she asks. Robin gestures for her to take a seat at Starfire's station, booting up the computer for her.

"I've been creating a database for years now, of resources, knowledge, outside help, things like that," Robin explains. "I'd like you to help me update the villain's database with whatever knowledge you have."

"Sure," Jinx says, secretly relieved. This seems easy enough.

"It'll be sort of time consuming, but no one else has the knowledge you do," Robin says apologetically. "I'll keep you company. I have work to do too."

**A/N: Alrighty! Let me know what you think, comments, concerns, whatever!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey! And the streak continues! A little bit of a shorter chapter this week, but we're getting into more of the Flinx moments, so enjoy!**

After a few hours, she and Robin call it for the day. He thanks her for her work and with that, she's dismissed for the night. One thing she can't get used to is the peace throughout the tower at nighttime. She's sure the HIVE Five are as raucous as ever, screaming and squabbling with zero regard for their fellow teammates.

Jinx's been given a small guest room, which is surprisingly nice, but she can't get comfortable. Huffing, she slips out of bed with a frown, grabbing her sketch book and a pencil and heading back to the living room.

She doesn't bother turning on the light, settling by one of the huge windows for some natural light. Jinx mindlessly sketches, letting the flow of the pencil lull her loud mind to quiet.

"Hey," The voice startles Jinx into dropping her pencil. Scowling she picks it up and straightens to find Kid Flash sprawled over the seats next to her. "What are you doing up? How'd it go with Robin?"

"Oh, fine I guess," Jinx says. She's embarrassed for some reason, and she wants to desperately smooth down her hair, but she won't dare do it in front of him. "I'm updating their villain database."

"Oh, that's great! You know, Robin built that database from scratch, with no help from the league," he brags like a proud parent.

"The Justice League?" Jinx clarifies. "Why wouldn't they help? Didn't Robin use to work with Batman?"

"Well, yeah," Kid Flash says, frowning lightly. "It's complicated, he doesn't get into it much. Either way, he doesn't exactly ask Batman for many favors."

"I get it, I guess," Jinx says. "I mean, can you imagine living in the shadow of actual Batman?" Kid Flash lets out a low whistle, shaking his head.

"Do you get along with the Flash?" Jinx asks tentatively.

"Oh sure! He's my uncle," he explains with a smile. "He's married to my dad's twin sister."

"How'd you get your powers, then? You don't to answer if you don't want to," she amends quickly, noticing the beginnings of a frown.

"No, it's okay," he says. "It was a replication of the same accident my uncle was in. I think it was supposed to be a trap for him, to try and get rid of his powers, but I ended up in it."

Jinx nods, unsure of what to say. She sets aside her sketchbook, tucking the pencil in the spiral.

"Still drawing unicorns?" She scoffs, unable to help the heat that rises to her cheeks.

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out," she says. Kid Flash gives her a puppy dog pout.

"Oh, come on, never?" he asks. "I'll model for you if you show me."

"I don't do models," Jinx says curtly. Kid Flash waggles his eyebrows lewdly.

"Now, I never said anything about that," he says with a smirk. Jinx let's pink electricity crackle around her fingers in a warning, shooting him a smirk of her own when he leans back. "Never mind!"

"Seriously, though," Kid Flash says after they've both calmed down. "I'd love to see what you draw." Jinx hesitates, brushing her fingers over a clean corner of her page. She sighs, relenting.

"It's nothing special," she warns, passing him the sketch book. "It's not very good either."

He takes the sketch book with a smile, opening to the page she'd been working on. He frowns thoughtfully, but Jinx can't decipher if he like it or not.

"Is this… Central City?" he asks after a moment.

"It's supposed to be," she says. "I've only been there once."

"This is phenomenal!" he says. "I can't believe you've only been once! Come with me and I can show you all the cool stuff! My fave restaurants, the arts and science museum—"

"You're being kind of loud for midnight," Jinx interrupts gently, tilting her head in the directions of the dorms. "People are trying to sleep."

"It's getting kind of late, huh?" he says sheepishly. "I should probably go to bed."

"Me too," Jinx agrees. They walk together for a moment, headed for the dorms. Kid Flash is being put up in the guest room near Robin's room. Jinx figures it's because they're old friends. Jinx turns to him, to say good night or something, but she doesn't get the chance. In a blur of red and yellow, he ducks in, plants a soft kiss against her cheek, then darts into his room, all before Jinx can even blink.

Thank god he's not here to see her flush.

Jinx slips back into bed, huddling under the covers, trying to will the stupid smile from her face. She falls asleep a little while later, and while it's not the most peaceful sleep she's had, she wakes up rested.

The lounge and kitchen area are already buzzing with activity when she steps in. Cyborg and Starfire are in the kitchen, whipping up something that looks like waffles, but smells entirely different. Beast Boy's on the sofa, booting up his game system.

"Friend Jinx!" Starfire notices her first, beckoning her into the kitchen with a smile. "Would you like to try a _klorpa_? They are a delicacy on my home world."

Jinx takes the offered plate gingerly, taking a seat at the counter. Cyborg winks and her nods, letting her know it's safe to eat. She takes a tentative bite, surprised to find it's fine. It's definitely not a waffle, savory and bright, like mint and curry and ginger.

"It's great," she assures the alien, who's watching her eat with wide hopeful eyes. Starfire giggle, pleased.

"I'm glad. Admittedly, it's not a morning meal, but we can make some exceptions." She winks like there's some sort of joke and Jinx gives an uncertain laugh.

"It's funnier in tameranean," Cyborg says, reciting like he's heard the line before.

Robin and Raven come down, taking seats at the counter too. Starfire doles out her not-waffles and juice, making up another plate only to set that one on the ground.

"Morning," Robin says, smoothing back his dark hair. Personally, Jinx thinks the gel will hold it's own.

"Good morning!" Starfire sings. "But wait, where is the Kid Flash? He was not training with you two?"

"KF doesn't get up before noon unless you pay him," Robin says with a smirk. "Or unless he can smell food."

As if on cue, the speedster himself comes barreling in, dropping into the open seat next to Jinx.

"Is someone making thai food?" he asks excitedly. He shoots Jinx a wide smile.

"Nope," she says. "Starfire made… uh—"

"Klorpa!" Starfire chimes in helpfully.

"Yeah, that," Jinx mutters, taking another bite. "It's good."

"Looks like waffles to me," he says. Robin shrugs.

"It's one of the only edible things she can make," he says. "No offense, Star."

Kid Flash eats with gusto, scarfing it down like he's never had a meal before in his life. It's pretty disgusting to watch. Jinx turns to Robin, who's slathering butter all over his food.

"So, what's the plan today?" she asks.

"Well," he says, swallowing down his bite. "You'll be working on the databases again with Raven and me. We need a clear picture of which villains are still on the loose and who they have alliances with. Star, KF, and BB are on call today. Cy, you're responding to the Titans East thing."

"Roger that," Cyborg says dutifully, before nearly unhinging his jaw and shoving an unearthly amount of not-waffles in. Jinx looks away.

"Boys," Raven grumbles with an eyeroll. Jinx can only nod, agreeing to the sentiment. Once everyone's eaten, they head down to their respective stations. Kid Flash gets to linger upstairs with the rest of the titans on call, playing video games with Beast Boy while they wait for something to happen. Jinx gives him a little wave as she follows Raven and Robin down to their command center.

"So, you and KF, huh?" Robin asks when they settle at their computers. Raven ducks behind her computer, obviously listening. Jinx flushes, unsure how to respond to that.

"I mean, we're friends," she mumbles. It feels wrong to call it that, when it's clearly so much more. Well. She only knows how she feels. For all she knows, Kid Flash really could think of her as just a friend. He's pretty flirty, but she's sure he's like that with all the girls.

"Oh," Robin flushes a little, spots of pink appearing under his mask. "I just thought—never mind. Let's just focus on the task at hand." Jinx nods, staring straight at the screen. They work quietly for a few hours, Jinx emptying out all her knowledge into the Titan's database.

Robin calls it around six in the evening, heading out with a nod. Raven catches Jinx's shoulder before they can leave.

"He means well," she says, her voice gravelly with disuse. "They've been friends for a long time. Way before Robin started the Titans."

"I didn't know," Jinx says. "But I guess that makes sense. They both have guardians in the Justice League, don't they?"

"Yeah," she says simply. Raven quirks an eyebrow, her lips curling a little. "So, is there something going on between you and KF?"

"I don't know," she admits. "I'm not really good at the 'boy' thing. Every time I try, it turns out… disastrous."

"None of us are good at the whole 'boy-thing'," Raven says easily. "Not even Starfire."

"She could have any boy she wanted," Jinx says, incredulous. Raven scoffs, her mouth turning into a wry smile.

"It's the life," she says. "It's not exactly easy to maintain romantic relationships while you're in."

**A/N: You have to take moments to be human teenagers, even if you're superhero's, or hell, not even human. There was a little easter egg pointing to the plot, so just wait and see. Let me know what you think, comments, concerns, whatever!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Welcome back to me remembering this is both a superhero story and a romance story and trying to find a balance. Enjoy!**

Jinx thinks about Raven's words all week. There's not much going on in Jump City that night. Apparently, no one wants to take on the heroes who took out the Brotherhood of Evil. They're all hanging out in the living room, waiting on Cyborg to get back. While they wait though, Starfire rifles through the movie collection, holding up DVD's for people's approval. Apparently, she's got an appetite for horror.

"No offense Star, but maybe you could pick something that people could actually watch?" Robin offers.

"As much as I like horror movies, I sort of don't want to watch a demon take over the world," Raven drawls, floating just above the couch. The Titans exchange glances, which Jinx doesn't exactly get. Luckily, Kid Flash doesn't seem to get it either.

"Alright," Starfire says, furrowing her brow. Jinx doesn't miss the way Robin's face gets soft at her expression. Kid Flash doesn't miss it either, smirking at her and jerking his chin in Boy Wonder's direction. "Perhaps we could settle on a romantic comedy? Yes?"

"I love a little romance," Kid Flash says, throwing an arm around the back of the sofa. Of course, that happens to be right behind Jinx, so she stiffens, scooting up a little. His smile falters a little.

"That's fine with me," Robin agrees. Raven and Beast Boy chime in their agreement. Before Starfire can put it on, the door sounds and Cyborg walks in, looking somber.

"Hey, guys," he says, sitting heavily on the couch.

"Cyborg, what's up?" Robin says, all business instantly. "How was Titans East."

"Well, going to be honest, it kind of sucked," he admits. "That string of robberies turned out to be a string of murders."

"What?" Robin asks. "That doesn't make any sense. In the report—"

"Dude, we're way in over our heads here," Cyborg interrupts. "We have to call the league."

"Absolutely not," Robin says, voice hard.

"But that's one of the rules—"

"No!"

"Bud, I think Cyborg's right," Beast Boy says gently. Kid Flash, however, bristles.

"Why?" he asks. It's the first time Jinx has ever seen his face so hard. "Because we're sidekicks? Newsflash, I can do everything the Flash can, and Robin can do everything Batman can. We'll be fine."

"Perhaps we should reconsider," Starfire says soothingly. "We have never dealt with a murder before."

"I think Starfire's right. There's no point in letting more people get hurt," Raven says rationally, expression impassive. Robin deflates, dropping his head in his hands.

"Fine," he says. "We'll talk to the league."

"Thanks, Rob," Cyborg says quietly, settling his hand over Robin's shoulder. Suddenly, it feels like a private moment, something that Jinx shouldn't be privy to. She drops her gaze.

"I take it that our movie night has been postponed?" Starfire asks with a small smile. Robin lets out a hollow laugh before standing up.

"Come on, KF, we have a phone call to make," he says. Kid Flash sighs, slapping on a smile for Jinx before following.

"We should just call it," Cyborg says. "I'm not in the mood for a movie night."

"Suddenly, neither am I," Beast Boy says. He walks out with Cyborg, a frown marring his usually chipper face. Raven sighs, floating down to settle on the couch.

"This isn't going to be pretty," Raven says, rubbing at her temples. "They haven't talked in a year."

"Serious baggage," Jinx mutters. She gets it though; she's never met the dark knight, but she's heard the stories.

"Robin wished to escape his shadow," Starfire says sharply. "He only does what he does to prove himself a worthy hero."

"Sure," Jinx says quickly. She's dealt with angry Starfire enough to not want to get on her bad side now.

"Star, no one's blaming Robin," Raven says soothingly. "We just think it's time to call in the big guns."

"We've never dealt with something like this," Starfire agrees, deflating. She runs her hands through her fiery hair, brow furrowed with worry.

"Let's go through the case files," Jinx says. "We're clearly not getting a break tonight."

"Good call," Raven says, getting to her feet. With that, the three of them head down to the command center. Unsurprisingly, Cyborg and Beast Boy are already there, frowning at a computer.

"It just doesn't make sense," Cyborg says in lieu of a greeting. "These were clearly serial killings, but the connections are weak at best. I can't make heads or tails of it!"

"Dude, this is seriously messed up," Beast Boy says sagely.

"There was no connection between the victims?" Starfire asks, peering over Cyborg's shoulder.

"Nope. Nada. El zilch-o," Cyborg replies bitterly.

"Maybe we're not thinking about this the right way," Raven muses. "Maybe this is extremist vigilante justice?"

"Did a thorough check of the victims. We even had Speedy ask GA, and he's even more bitter than Rob is." Cyborg runs a human hand over his face. Jinx studies him carefully. Poor kid looks like he hasn't slept in days.

"Why don't you take a break," Jinx offers. "Let us take over while you, uh, recharge."

"Nah, I'm at 30% battery, I'm good," he says, shooting her a smile.

"Well, it looks like Rob and his old man are going to be on the phone for a while," Kid Flash announces, dropping into an open chair. "At least the Flash kept it brief."

"So, what did he say?" Beast Boy asks eagerly. "Are the Justice League coming? Do we get to meet the Justice League?"

"They're having a meeting about it, I think. Robin's asking for full control of the mission, just with JL resources." Kid Flash spins his chair, turning into red and yellow blur for a moment.

"Jeez, so many acronyms," Jinx mutters. Kid Flash laughs, shooting her a wink.

"Easier to talk in code, J," he says.

"Hard pass on that," she shoots back.

"Jinx, you recognize any of the gear they're been using?" Cyborg says, calling her attention back to the task at hand.

"Let me see," she says absently as she scrolls through the case files. The killer's been using mostly poison, but there's one murder in particular that makes her stop. The victim suffered from rapid-onset hypothermia. She's only seen that once before.

"Huh, I know this mechanism," she says, pointing. "It's a freeze ray, but the last time I saw it, it didn't really work."

"Who's is it?" Cyborg asks, lighting up.

"He goes by Kid Kold. I… knew him in passing," she says, cringing a little. She's not about to divulge her messy relationship fails.

"Yup, he's in here," Cyborg says, pulling up his file, the ones Jinx had filled out herself. She'd saved him for last, a strange, lingering feeling of loyalty halting her from filling it out sooner. Still, she'd sucked it up and wrote out everything about his powers, hoping desperately she'd never see him again. Just her luck, she supposed.

"He's a solo guy, though," she warns. "I don't know what he'd be doing in what looks like a group."

"What makes you say it's a group?" Robin's voice startles the six of them. He strides into the room, stony faced and arms crossed.

"Well, look at the victims. Looking at their case files, you can see that they're all part of a cascading money stream. Look, Coast City Bank, Keystone City Bank, and Steel City Bank. They all fall under the same parent lender, which is spearheaded by LuthorCorp," she explains.

"You know all of this how?" Robin asks, one eyebrow quirked.

"That was one of our plans, HIVE Five, I mean," she says. "Nobody wanted to murder anyone though."

"So why the murders?"

"We were trying to get in with the Brotherhood of Evil. Now that they're out, my best guess is that the team's trying to get in with the League of Shadows." Jinx frowns, a little spike of worry running through her. She hadn't particularly liked her teammates, but they weren't killers, just thieves. "They must've drafted new people."

"You're sure this is your team?" Robin asks sharply. Kid Flash gets up then, coming to stand by Jinx. He loops his arm around her shoulders.

"Easy Rob, this isn't her fault," he says.

"Then how did the HIVE Five escape?" he challenges. "They were all frozen and shipped off to different prisons."

"Gizmo must've planned a contingency," Jinx rationalizes. "He's the only one of them that could think of that."

"Which is where this Kid Kold comes in," Robin fills in, deflating a little. "Sorry I snapped, I'm just…"

"It's cool," Jinx says. Starfire puts a hand on his shoulder.

"We understand," she says. "We do not blame you." Robin leans into her easily.

"Call it for tonight, guys," Robin decides. "The league will brief us in the morning. There's really not much else we could do tonight."

The Titans disperse, heading to their own respective rooms. Jinx makes her way to her own room, only to grab her sketching supplies and head up to the roof. The moon is full tonight, lighting up the Jump City skyline beautifully.

Jinx starts to sketch, letting the soft scratch of the pencil soothe her.

"Is this going to be a thing?" Kid Flash's voice startles her, but she doesn't let it show. Instead, she shrugs.

"I don't know, is it?" she challenges. He grins, dropping down to sit next to her, peeking over her shoulder.

"That's beautiful," he says. "You've got some real talent."

"Yeah, well…" she flounders for a moment, defensive even though she's not sure why. "Thanks."

The sit in a comfortable silence, Jinx sketching while Kid Flash watches. He's not exactly built for sitting still, however, and after 20 minutes, the fidgeting starts. Jinx dodges every time an errant limb threatens to jostle her.

"Why don't you go to bed," Jinx suggests, her patience wearing thin.

"Why don't you?" he asks. "It's getting pretty late." Something about the way he says that makes her pause.

"Are you…" she starts slowly, annoyance prickling through her. "Supposed to be keeping an eye on me or something? Because the team doesn't trust me?"

"What? No! Not at all! Robin said to trust you, so they do. I do too, you proved that to me," He assures her. Jinx doesn't back down, shoving her things away and hopping up.

"Why are you here then?" she snaps.

"Because I…" Kid Flash sputters awkwardly, before sucking in a deep breath. "Look, I really like you, and it's cool if you don't feel the same way, but I want to get to know you better. That's what I'm trying to do."

"You, you like me? Like 'like-me-like-me'?" Jinx asks. Believe it or not, she's been here before, some boy confessing his feeling for her, but she's only returned them once before. She definitely returns them now. Kid Flash colors brilliantly, really amping up the ketchup-and-mustard aesthetic.

"Uh, yeah," he says. "I'm being super obvious."

"You're sort of a flirt," Jinx says uncertainly. He sputters for a second, huffing out an uncomfortable laugh.

"A little," he admits. "I swear, though, I like you a lot. I'll totally stop all the flirting."

"Well," Jinx concede, allowing him a small smile. "I don't mind if you flirt with me."

**A/N: Okay, this time, I promise we're getting into the plot! Let me know what you thought, comments, concerns, whatever!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Ah, now the young heroes are on their own, alone together, in an unfamiliar city. What could possibly happen? Enjoy!**

Jinx goes to bed with a stupid smile still plastered over her face. While Kid Flash hadn't up and called himself her boyfriend, he'd admitted he liked her. The next morning, she joins the Titans for breakfast, still smiling.

"Sleep well?" Raven asks her, eyebrow quirked. Jinx flushes; her complexion's getting better recently. She thinks it might be a stress-reduction kind of thing. The blushes are a little less obvious now.

"Fine," she mumbles, collecting the plate Cyborg slides towards her. He winks at her, which is just as horrifying as Jinx expected. Kid Flash must've said something. Oh, god, what do they think? She could just kill him!

The idiot in question struts in like a damn peacock, smirking and zipping around. He loops an arm around her shoulder, ducking in to press a kiss to her cheek.

"Oh!" Starfire exclaims. "I did not know you two were together! This is most joyous!"

"No!" Jinx exclaims at the same time as Kid Flash says, "Yes!"

He looks at her in surprise, a glimmer of hurt passing through his face.

"Oh, I thought—"

"We… have to talk about it," Jinx says. Kid Flash withdraws him arm slowly. Instantly, Jinx wishes he'd put it back, but she can't say anything, not with the way everyone's looking at them.

"O…kay," Beast Boy says, laughing uncomfortably. "Who wants to play mega-cart basher five?"

"I will," Cyborg volunteers hurriedly. Kid Flash shrugs, joining the other boys on the couch.

"I'll play winner," he intones. Starfire reaches for Jinx's hand, patting it gently.

"Shall we go to the roof? Train together?" she offers. "Raven, will you join us?"

"Uh, sure," Raven says, glancing back to the boys. "I could use some air. Where it's not so… awkward."

They pass Robin on the way up to the rooftop course. He nods to them, drenched in sweat, hair going flat against his forehead.

"Meet downstairs in two hours," he says. "I'm expecting some news."

"Sure," Raven says easily. "Hear back from the JL?"

"I'm about to," he says. The girls make their way to the rooftop course, where they train for an hour or so. They lounge in the sunlight for a moment, catching their breath.

"So, wanna tell us what happened?" Raven asks Jinx. She'd been expecting that, but she didn't really want to say.

"It just… I don't know. He told me liked me last night, and then all the sudden, everyone's looking at us like they're waiting on a save the date!" Jinx admits. She only like eyes on her when she deserves it and she's never liked being aligned with some boy.

"Sometimes we get carried away," Starfire says. "Forgive us, we do not often get a chance to indulge in things like this."

"The life," Jinx guesses.

"Say what you want, but underneath it all, we're still kids," Raven says.

"I should apologize to KF, shouldn't I?" Jinx asks, already knowing the answer.

"He'll understand. Even if he's sort of dumb on the surface, he's smart where it counts," Raven assures her.

"Boys," Starfire says sagely. "Can be quite dumb."

Jinx laughs, agreeing. After that, they decide they really should get some training done, so Raven fires up the obstacle course. After an hour, they call it, stretching to cool down.

"Raven, will you consider flying with me?" Starfire asks. "I fear that in the absence of any villains, my stamina shall decrease."

"Sure," Raven agrees readily.

"Perhaps, after such a flight, the three of us would like to do the shopping, maybe doing a visit to the mall?" Starfire asks, leaning over to look at Jinx. She blinks in surprise, touched. Whatever friends she'd had before this hadn't really included her unless they needed her.

"I need a new pair of jeans," Jinx volunteers. "My civvies are kind of ratty."

"Ah! I adore the purchasing of new clothes!" Starfire exclaims. Raven lets out a throaty chuckle, shaking her head slightly. They head to the dorms to wash up for the meeting Robin called. Once everyone's seated in the living room, Robin brings out the big screens, clicking onto a report.

"Okay, so here's what's going to happen," he says. "There are seven of us right now, and the cascading money stream spans three cities. We'll split into teams and cover the victims there. Closed circuit comms only and daily reports uploaded to the Titan's server. Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg, you'll be checking out Keystone City, where the majority of the murders happened. Jinx and KF, you'll be going to Steel City. Jinx, see if you might have contacts out there that'll talk. Star and I will be taking Coast City. It's close enough that we can keep watch on Jump City at the same time. Cy, I'm having Titans East work with you, but there's been… a personnel change."

"What personnel change?" Cyborg asks. Robin huffs out a sigh, running a sheepish hand through his hair.

"When I had Speedy call GA, they got into it," he explains. "Turns out, Speedy's done with teams. He's apparently also done with Speedy."

"What?" Kid Flash ask, shocked. "Done with Speedy, what does that even mean?"

"He's going rogue," Robin says heavily. "Heard through the grapevine that he was up in Bludhaven, going by Red Arrow."

"Red Arrow?" Beast Boy questions. "He picked that out? Worked pretty fast. It's only been three days."

"Nope," Robin says, popping the p. "Papers did that for him."

"Oh no! Bee's team will be insufficient now," Starfire worries? "What now?"

"I… don't have an answer right now," he mumbles.

"Okay, first thing's first," Raven says. "We take care of the murders. What did the JL give us?"

"Access, mostly," Robin says. "Hacking gear, codes, stuff like that. Batman was… reluctant about this one."

"No cool toys?" Kid Flash pouts. Cyborg takes the offered gear, looking it over with longing in his eyes.

"Rob, you have got to introduce me to the guy that made all this stuff," he says dreamily. Robin cracks a small smile.

"I can already tell he'd like you," he concedes. "Okay, Titans, we have our orders. Let's move out."

"Friends, will you come join me for a moment?" Starfire asks her and Raven.

Jinx follow the other girls out and back to the dorms. The boys follow Cyborg down to the garage, where he's surely got some cool toys of his own whipped up. They go to Starfire's room first, but Jinx hangs back for a second before she's ushered in too.

"Starfire's religious," Raven mutters. "It helps her cope."

"Oh," Jinx says lamely. Starfire has a little bowl in her room, with a strange marking carved onto it. Starfire pours some oil into it, lighting it with her starbolts. She wafts the smoke in their direction, chanting softly in Tamaranian.

"There," she says, pleased. "Now you've been blessed by X'hal. She will keep you safe."

"Thanks, Star," Raven says, a wry little smile playing at her lips.

"Yeah, thanks," Jinx echoes. She feels strangely emotional. Starfire, who considered her an enemy a few weeks ago, is worried enough to call on her own religion for her safety. It's more than any of her other "friends" have thought of her.

"I must go find the others, so they may bear the blessing as well," Starfire says brightly.

"See you in a bit," Raven says, floating serenely to her own room. Jinx follows suit. She packs fast, stuffing a set of clothes and her toiletries into a knapsack. They're supposed to meet in the garage to go. Apparently, the titans keep their go-bags by the door.

Robin and Starfire see everyone off, like parents. The thought makes Jinx chuckle a little as she clambers up onto Kid Flash's back.

"What so funny?" he asks, gripping her thighs carefully.

"They look like their sending their kids off to college or something," Jinx explains. Starfire's waving enthusiastically now, floating a few feet above Robin, who's got a hand curled around her ankle. For a second, Jinx and Kid Flash watch as Starfire hauls Robin up, setting off.

"Okay now we can go," he says, chuckling. "He looks like a little kid like that."

Jinx doesn't a have a chance to reply because Kid Flash takes off without a warning, zipping through the streets. Jinx burrows her head against his neck, trying desperately to keep her lunch where it should be.

A few short minutes later, they're in some back alley. Kid Flash gently lowers her down, gripping her elbows until he's sure she won't fall.

"Okay?" he asks softly. Jinx nods, breathing carefully through her nose. She's going to have to get used to this.

"So, where exactly are we?" she asks, looking the alley up and down.

"Safe house in the middle of Steel City," Kid Flash says, walking up to the side door and keying in the access code. "One of the League's."

"I thought the Titan's had stuff like this too," Jinx says, following him inside. The building's nice, clean and designed with sleek lines. Very geometric.

"Rob's been burning through his trust fund like crazy for us, but even those guys have limits," he replies with a chuckle. "Sometimes, it's good to have the League back us up."

"Trust fund, huh?" Jinx asks absently, more interested in looking around. Kid Flash leads her to top floor, the apartment at the very end of the hall. He presses his thumb against the middle of the doorknob, grinning when it lights up green.

The door swings open, revealing a minimalist apartment. In fact, a series of monitors against the back wall is the most prominent feature. Other than that, there's a couch and coffee table in the main room.

"There's a bedroom through there," Kid Flash says. "Not much, but it should be fine. I'll take the couch."

Jinx eyes the couch, long and flat, if not narrow. She really doesn't think he'll be comfortable, and he strikes her as the sort of person who's had a cushy civilian life.

"Nah, you take the room," she says, plopping her bag on the couch to claim it. "You're too big for this thing. No offense."

"What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you take the couch?" he says, grinning at her. For a second, Jinx thinks about sharing and immediately flushes.

"The kind without a tweaked neck and spine," she says. "Go dump your stuff, we have work to do."

Kid Flash frowns like he wants to argue back, so Jinx lets a tendril of pink electricity to twirl around her fingers menacingly. He backs off, doing as he's told and coming back to sit heavily on the couch. Jinx can't help but stare at him.

He's out of uniform.

**A/N: We're getting a little more comfortable with each other now! Let me know what you think, comments, concerns, whatever. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Alrighty, at this point I'm calling myself a consistent poster. We're getting into some more plot stuff, some more bonding stuff, so enjoy!**

"Uh, hey," Kid Flash says, waving awkwardly at her when she won't stop staring. Why won't she stop staring? Jinx tears her eyes away, unable to help the flush that clings stubbornly to her cheeks.

"It's comfier," Kid Flash offers, like he means to fill the silence more than he means to explain. "I'm not like Rob and the team, I can't live in my uniform all the time, and it's just you, so I figured—"

"How old are you?" Jinx asks abruptly, still staring resolutely at her lap.

"17," he answers. "I'll be a senior when school starts. How old are you?" Jinx hesitates; that's pretty personal, but Kid Flash had trusted her, hadn't he?

"I just turned 16," she explains. "Three months ago."

"You're a spring baby then," Kid Flash says. She doesn't need to look at him to know he's grinning like an idiot. There's a pause, and he clears his throat. "Did I… did I make you uncomfortable? I can go put the uniform back on, but I feel like that's going backwards."

Jinx looks up then, confused. She can't help but catalogue his features. He is handsome, classically so, like an old Hollywood star, only red-haired. His jaw is strong and his smile is kind. His eyes are just as brilliant outside the suit. The only difference is how young he looks, wearing a school hoodie and a pair of beat up jeans.

"What do you mean, going backwards?" Jinx asks, drawing her knees up to wrap her arms around.

"I want to know you," he says. "I want you know me. Not just Kid Flash, but me."

"Is that," Jinx starts, struggling for the words. "Is that something you should be telling me? Who you are, I mean?"

"Look, I've known Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, and Wondergirl since I was 13 years old," he explains. "And I know a lot of the other titans too. I know who Cy used to be, who BB and Raven used to be. It's because we all trust each other. I want you to have that too, the trust."

Jinx is at a loss. To her absolute horror, a lump rises up to her throat and the backs of her eyes burn. She looks down abruptly, pressing her face to her knees. She doesn't know who her old teammates used to be, not even Kid Kold. They don't her story either.

"Is that too much?" Kid Flash asks anxiously. Jinx sneaks a peek up to find his entire head gone red, almost the same color as his hair. His ears burn the brightest, a fire engine red she didn't know a person's ears could turn.

"No," she says bravely, looking up. "It's not too much, but we have to get work done."

"Right!" Kid Flash agrees, laughing uncomfortably. "Killers on the loose."

Jinx grabs the control panel for the monitors and fires them up, pulling up the case files for Steel City. Kid Kold was definitely here, but she can't tell if he still is, nor what he wants. They scour files, news article, bank statements, accounting history's, and more, but nothing makes sense. In the HIVE Five's original plans, each member was supposed to take on a branch, draining it dry and framing the executives. Instead, they've killed the executives, and as far as Jinx can tell, they haven't really stolen all too much, just a few thousands.

"I don't get it," Kid Flash says for the ninth time. "They only took 17% of the liquid funds. They're thieves!"

Jinx has explained the plans they had, the plans to forge offshore accounts so they could liquidate every asset the banks had.

"Maybe they're too dumb to figure out how to get everything else without you." Kid Flash offers. Jinx snickers, but he looks serious.

"They definitely needed me, but I wasn't the only smart one," she says. "Gizmo was the idea man. It was just my job to keep him focused and realistic.

"Right," he says, leaning back and stretching. His stomach gives an almighty rumble and Jinx loses it, laughing heartily.

"You really can't stand to miss meals, can you?" she asks amidst giggles.

"Hey, with great power come great need to feed," he tells her mock seriously. Jinx scoffs, pulling herself to her feet.

"Come on, we can afford to take a break," she says. "We know these files inside and out."

The kitchen is pretty sparse, and there's not even a fridge. Jinx scours through the cabinets, pulling out cans of soup.

"There's not a ton here, but there's soup," she calls, trying to find some pots. "Chicken noodle or tomato?"

"Uh…" There's a woosh and Jinx pokes her head up to find the living room empty. She scowls, glancing at her watch. A few minutes later, Kid Flash dashes back in, arms laden with fast food bags. He's even got a hamburger in his mouth. He takes a truly disgusting bite, offering the rest of the burger to her. Jinx shakes her head, opting to stick with her soup.

After Kid Flash manages to put down an obscene amount of food—god, where does he put it—Jinx tries to hack back into the old HIVE intranet to see if there are any clues in there. Surprisingly, it looks like it hasn't been updated in a while, which doesn't make too much sense, since it's still up.

Kid Flash updates the other teams, taking notes at lightspeed. He nods, his head a blur of red.

"What did they say?" she asks, stretching her aching muscles. She's been hunched over the control panel way too long.

"Pretty much the same as us," Kid Flash says, stowing his communicator. "No one has anything, so now we hit the streets and see what we can figure out. Do you have any old contacts you could talk to?"

"Maybe, but they're not exactly the types who leave traces," she says. Maybe Cheshire? She likes Steel City well enough. There are plenty of corrupt business moguls who need unsavory jobs done.

"Okay," he says, nodding. "We'll see if people will talk and you can find your contact."

Jinx nods, but she's really not sure. Cheshire is one of the very few who knew Jinx back when she was Jui. In fact, Cheshire had been on the team that stormed the facility she was being held at. Albeit, it was to steal weaponry, but it did give Jinx a chance to escape.

The older girl had shown her the ropes, how to live on the streets without being detected. They'd parted ways when Jinx had been recruited for HIVE.

After eating, Kid Flash goes to take a shower, promising to be quick. Jinx doesn't mind either way, it'll give her time to call Cheshire. She fishes out the burner from her knapsack and flips through her sketchbook. She keeps numbers in there sometimes, which is sort of risky, but Jinx likes to keep her sketchbooks close. Jinx leans against the wall, flipping open the book.

She traces over the number, unsure. There's a high probability that Cheshire won't pick up, that she'll have traded burners too many times by now for Jinx to find her. Numbers dance through her head, probabilities of getting hold of Cheshire. They are abysmally low.

Jinx sucks in a breath, bracing herself. Adjusting low probabilities is one of her specialties. She focuses on the numbers, on Cheshire, and the probabilities (.00341) and lets her magic flood through her before dialing the number. After a few rings, someone picks up.

"What?" Cheshire's voice, silky smooth and sultry, is hard to forget. Jinx smiles, fighting back exhaustion.

"It's Jinx," she says, then hesitates. "Uh, Jui Nayak, from the Fawcett Center—"

"I remember," Cheshire says, cutting her off. "How'd you get this number?"

"Magic," Jinx says with a smile. Her knees threaten to give and she drops the notebook. She sucks in a breath and powers through. "Listen, I need a favor."

"It'll cost you," Cheshire tells her, voice almost a sing-song.

"I need information," she says. "Did you hear about the scheme the HIVE Five are running?"

"Are you calling to brag?" Cheshire laughs. "Isn't that your team?"

"Not anymore," jinx says. "I'm… switching gears."

"I heard of it," Cheshire says. Jinx can almost hear the smirk in her voice.

"And?" Jinx prods, annoyed. The exhaustion threatens to overtake her, and Jinx promises herself she'll practice more, but this was a big jump, .99659.

"And nothing," Cheshire says. "I'm not involved and I don't care. I'm running a job right now."

"Where?" Jinx asks. Her thighs are starting to tremble now.

"My my, aren't you full of questions tonight?" Cheshire sighs softly. "You know I go where the money is."

"Come on, I need help," Jinx pleads.

"Sorry, kitten, you're on your own." With that, the phone clicks off. Frustrated, Jinx throws the phone down hard. Kid Flash comes out of the room just as her legs finally give, catching her as she goes down.

"Jinx!" he cries worriedly. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"Fuck," she swears softly, gasping for breath. Kid Flash gathers her up in his arms and blurs her over to the couch. She has half a nanosecond to register that he's clad only in a pair of low slung sweat pants. Her cheeks warm just slightly. She's leaning against warm, hard muscle. He may be lean, but he is not scrawny. What 17-year-old boy has any right to look that toned?

"Put your clothes on," she tells him sternly—or, she tries to, but she's breathless. It's a testament to how worried he must be that there's no smart-ass comment. He blurs into the bedroom and back in the blink of an eye, back in his school hoodie.

"Are you okay?" he asks seriously. Jinx nods, forcing herself to sit up.

"I called an old contact of mine, to get some info," she explains. Kid Flash gets a glass of water without being asked and she smiles at him, grateful. She takes a measured sip. With probability jumps that big, there's always bound to be nausea. The probabilities for that pop up, but she pushes them away. "The number I had was old, and the chance I was going to reach her was really low, so I used my powers."

"You can influence probability," Kid Flash says, seemingly impressed.

"I can make events with low probability happen," she agrees. "I call it probability jumps. Mostly, I just use it wreck stable buildings."

"But it costs you, right?" he asks. "It makes you tired?"

"Jumps higher than .665 drain me," she says. "That's the hardest limit I've found in the field."

"Huh," he says, pensive. "I never thought about my limits before."

"You don't know how fast you can go?" she asks, incredulous. Kid Flash blushes, the color extending past the collar of his hoodie. Absently, Jinx wonders just how far the blush extends.

"Well, I know that, but I don't think I've ever run tests or anything," he explains. "I just… do what I have to."

"We all had out limits tested at HIVE academy," she says matter-of-factly. "Can't sell an asset without it's details."

"That's seriously messed up," Kid Flash says, shaking his head. "Alright, you need to get some rest. We're spending the day canvasing tomorrow." Jinx nods, pulling herself off the couch. He hovers around her all the way until the bathroom, where she has to shoo him away.

Relaxing under the stream of hot water is so nice, the pressure perfect to soothe away the ache. Jinx washes her hair carefully, then gets out, dressing in an old sweatshirt and leggings. She's suddenly nervous about him seeing her in her civvies, even if they are just pajamas. She looks like a little girl, no curves to speak of at 16. She's too thin, her skin, which is supposed to be brown, is almost gray—though her color is getting better.

Jinx huffs out a sigh and reaches for suppressor bands, tying her hair up. Hopefully they'll stay down for a little while at least. To her surprise, Kid Flash is still hovering, waiting cheerfully for her right outside the bathroom.

"A little creepy, no?" she asks him, raising her eyebrow.

"Hey, gotta make sure my partner's alright," he says, not an ounce of shame on his face. He looks her up and down for a second, so brief she can barely make it out. Heat rises to her cheeks again.

"I'm fine," she says.

"Alright, time for bed," he says, a soft expression on his face. The pink on her cheeks is surely brighter now. Kid Flash blinks at her, then flushes too. "I mean, you know, obviously separately—"

"Goodnight!" she says hurriedly, pushing past him to get to the living room.

**A/N: Well, can you blame them? They are only teenagers after all. Also, Cheshire is one of my all time favorite DC characters, so I take any opportunity to shamelessly throw her into my works. Tune in next week for actual action! Let me know what you thought!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: A little bit of a longer chapter this time, so strap in! I'm not too confident in the action, but I needed to get this out on time, so here we are. Enjoy! **

The next morning, Jinx wakes up early, just as weak shafts of light are filtering through the gauzy curtains. The couch had been surprisingly comfortable. She stretches her limbs carefully, arching like a cat. Her mouth is dry, nearly painful, so she makes her way to the kitchen, silent in case she wakes Kid Flash.

She gulps down a glass of water, setting it aside to wash later. Going through the cabinets is sort of useless, only finding a few granola bars. They'll probably have to stop off for breakfast or something.

"Hey," Kid Flash's voice startles her, but a sense of calm settle over her near instantly at the sight of his face. His bright hair sticks up everywhere, random blotches of red all over his face. He smiles at her, sleep-sweet and bleary. Jinx returns the smile.

"Hey," she says. "I looked around, but there's not much to eat."

"It's okay," he says, even though his stomach grumbles loudly. "we should probably get breakfast, though, before we start."

"Sure," she laughs. "I call dibs on the bathroom first."

"Of course," he says, bowing low and shooting her a goofy little smile. Jinx snorts, heading for the bathroom. She hurries through her routine, getting dressed in civvies. She never did have the chance to take Starfire up on her offer to go shopping. Once she's presentable—well, as much as she can be, in her ratty jeans and threadbare Henley—she heads back to the living room, plopping down on the couch.

"That was fast," Kid Flash says through a mouthful of granola.

"You better have saved some from me," she teases. It's funny; she's had this same conversation with her old team, but back then, there had been malice behind every word. The boys had liked to remind her she was smaller than them, like it somehow made her less than. They raided her stuff, pilfered her snacks, and laughed until her patience (albeit short) ran out and she boiled over, letting loose with her power.

"I'll make it up to you," he says sheepishly. "Best breakfast you've ever had. I know a place."

"You come to Steel City often?" she asks. Kid Flash shrugs.

"My grandparents live here," he explains. "I'm going to get ready and we'll bounce, alright? Two shakes." Jinx rolls her eyes. He's corny in the extreme, but she can't find it in herself to hate it.

True to his word, Kid Flash is back in thirty seconds, dressed in a pair of joggers and another school sweat shirt. This one boasts drama club.

"You're a theater nerd," she snickers, Kid Flash doesn't even have the good grace to look ashamed, cocking one hip proudly.

"You're damn right," he says winking. "Ready to go?"

"Let's go." With that, they head out. Jinx lets KF take the lead, following him as he gives her what is essentially a guided tour of Steel City's best restaurants. He takes her to a diner not too far from a safe house, nothing flashy, but as soon as Jinx walks in, she can tell it's going to be good.

"Just take a seat wherever," calls a waitress. She's young, maybe nineteen or twenty, with glossy blonde curls and a bright red smile. She does a double take as Jinx walks in, trailing a few feet behind KF. A small voice in the back of Jinx's head sneers at her, listing out every area the waitress has Jinx beat. KF smirks at the waitress, leaning back in the booth and jutting his chin up.

"What can I get you guys," she asks, fishing a notepad out from her apron. She gives Jinx a wide smile, her pretty green eyes sparkling. What does she make of Jinx's strange appearance, her pink eyes and hair, her pallid complexion?

"It's a big order," KF says, tone flirty. "Ready?" The waitress snorts, smiling wryly at him. He rattles off basically the whole menu, and to her credit, the waitress keeps up.

"And you, sweetheart?" she asks her. What does she think of them, Jinx wonders? Does she think this is a date?

"Just an order of hash browns please," she says tonelessly. "And a black coffee."

"Coming up!" sings the waitress, smiling broadly at the pair of them. Well, this isn't a date, Jinx decides savagely. It's a meeting, a work meal before they get started.

"That's it?" KF asks. He looks a little concerned. Jinx snorts, whatever annoyance she had slipping away.

"We can't all eat like speedsters," she teases. "I don't want to get fat."

KF doesn't respond, looking at her critically. Jinx squirms under his critical gaze. Is he deciding he doesn't like her anymore? What happened to all that talk to trust and wanting to get to know each other for real? Jinx beats those thoughts back as quickly as they came. She's a self-possessed, powerful, independent girl, not an insecure, shallow mess. It doesn't matter what Kid Flash thinks of her, that's his deal.

"You didn't eat that much last night either," he says, frowning at her deeper. "And you really exerted yourself." Before he can go on, the waitress comes back, bearing a tray of drinks. Kid Flash had asked for a hot chocolate, OJ, and a water. He gulps down the water as soon as it hits the table. She sets the coffee down in front of Jinx, beaming at her. Jeez, what has she got to be so happy about?

"Can I get you any cream?" she chirped. Across the table, Kid Flash smirked into his hot chocolate.

"No, I'm fine," Jinx says, making an effort not to sound rude. She wouldn't take out her petty insecurities on this lady, no matter how much prettier Kid Flash found her. "Thank you."

"No problem!" The waitress turns to Kid Flash, smiling and shaking her head. "You might have to wait a second on those burgers, hon, but the rest of it will be out in a bit."

"I figured," Kid Flash laughs genially. "Take your time."

"That order of hash browns will out in a second, honey," she says to Jinx. "Can I get you anything else?"

"No thanks," Jinx says, trying for a smile. She's pretty sure it comes out a grimace.

"You should share my pancakes," Kid Flash announces suddenly, setting down his empty mug. There's a streak of whipped cream across his top lip. Jinx raises her eyebrows at him, but he just raises his higher.

"I'm good," she says.

"I don't want you to be too tired," he tells her, insistent. "Somebody's got to take care of you."

"We're just doing recon today," she counters. "And besides, I can take care of myself."

"Think of me as the auxiliary team then," he says, leaning towards her. "Of taking care of you, I mean. You're the A-Team, obviously, but I can be back-up."

"God, you're a dork," Jinx says, ducking her head. Try as she might, she can't fight the rush of heat in her cheeks. She's been taking care of herself so long, she can't even remember the last time someone offered.

The waitress comes back with the first round of orders, making sure Jinx has hers before situating Kid Flash's buffet. He waits approximately two seconds before digging in with such gusto, Jinx has to close her eyes.

"Wan' somf?" Kid Flash asks through an entire flapjack, pushing one of the plates towards her. She's in the middle of her own bite—albeit a lot smaller—but, just to appease him, she cuts herself a bite of his flapjacks. It's pretty good, all of it, the perfect crispy hash browns and the just barely sweet flapjack. Thank god she took a bite before he drowned them in syrup.

Their waitress comes and goes, overly friendly, making sure they're good, clearing Kid Flashes plates and replacing them. She always has a smile for Jinx, and she has to wonder whether it's some pity thing, or if it's more malicious, some advanced form of mean-girling.

They go over their list of places to canvas, the various information warehouses of each bank branch, the branches themselves, and the Luthercorp satellite office. It should be pretty standard stuff, but the info warehouses will be trickier. They'll have to hack into the servers, look over data reports. Jinx isn't worried, but she hasn't busted out her SQL skills in a while now.

After Kid Flash is finally satiated (though, who knows how long it will last) the waitress comes by with the check. He has the money ready, handing it over with a flirtatious "keep the change". Jinx rolls her eyes as they head out. Kid Flash grins at her as they make their way to the first building.

"What?" she asks defensively. Does she have food on her face?

"Just thinking about my competition," he says. His grin borders on a smirk.

"What competition?" she asks, confused. Kid Flash blinks at her, smile faltering.

"You didn't notice?" he asks, incredulous. "How could you not?"

"Notice what?" Jinx asks, almost annoyed. They need to focus up. Robin gave them a skeleton key card that will allow them to bypass the security systems, but Jinx isn't sure. If they're being backed by Luthercorp, they'll have some pretty tight security.

"The waitress," Kid Flash explains. "She was totally into you!"

"What?" Jinx sputters, completely blindsided. "She was into you!"

"Not a chance," Kid Flash counters, full on smirking at her now. "She looked at me maybe twice but spent almost the whole time smiling at you."

"I…" Jinx reels at this information. People don't find her attractive. They just don't. People like her for her power. She's not quite sure what Kid Flash likes about her, personality maybe, or their drift compatibility. "I didn't realize."

"So, should I be worried?" he teases. The come up to the building, an assuming office building smackdab in the center of downtown.

"You should be focused," she tells him. Kid Flash sighs but nods, letting the smile melt off his face. They head into the first location, a little apprehensive. True to Robin's word, the key card bypasses the security and lets them right in. Surprisingly, people don't bother them when they flash their fake passes. Jinx downloads the most recent set of files, while Kid Flash asks a few questions. It's a good set up. She's more tech savvy and he's more personable.

They get through almost all their locations, saving the Luthercorp office for last. Jinx isn't worried per se, but she's going to have to do a fair bit of hacking.

The whole time, Kid Flash's words have been ringing through her mind. That beautiful waitress had found her attractive? What could have possibly possessed her to think that? Maybe she liked the dangerous vibes Jinx puts out.

The Luthercorp building is a little more ostentation than the others, full of polished white marble and state of the art tech. Miraculously, the skeleton keycard works. Jeez, who makes this stuff, Wayne enterprises?

It's quiet in the building and suddenly, Jinx feels a sense of apprehension.

"Something's wrong," she whispers, just barely moving her voice. She can't hear anyone moving around here, doing regular office things. It's almost four o'clock, the staff should be rearing to go.

"Yeah," Kid Flash exhales, tensing. They keep moving, heading deeper toward the offices. Inside, bodies are slumped over their desks. Kid Flash inhales sharply. Jinx doesn't flinch, hurrying over to the closest person. It's an older woman, maybe late fifties. Her pulse is steady, but she doesn't respond when Jinx prods her.

"They're not dead," says a familiar, silken voice. "Hey, kitten."

"So, this is the job you're running?" Jinx says, slowly turning to face Cheshire. She looks grown up, womanly and dangerous in a way that Jinx could never pull off. Besides her, Kid Flash swallows.

"Who's the boy toy?" she asks, instead of responding. Jinx doesn't let her anger show, but she sets her jaw and lets her power swirl up to the surface.

"What does it matter?" she says, taking a careful step towards Kid Flash, trying to put some distance between him and Cheshire. She's seen his face, so he can't use his powers. Jinx prays he doesn't try anything heroic.

"I guess it doesn't," Cheshire laughs. "What are you trying to do, kitten? Steal my mark? That's very bad form."

"Don't care about the mark, just need some info," Jinx tells her casually. "I'm running with a different crew."

"You know, I called an old friend yesterday," Cheshire says, taking a deliberate step. Jinx runs through the probabilities. Her skill with the shuriken knives is near impeccable. The only way to avoid those would be for KF to use his powers. Jinx sucks in a breath. She'll have to do a big jump, at least .86, to give them a fighting chance. "He said you ran with the titans now. Is that true? Which little titan is this?"

"You're info suck," Jinx jeers. "But you really wouldn't know better, would you?" This is bad, she shouldn't have said that, but she wants to get this over with. There's a .3448 probability that they can take her down successfully. Cheshire snarls, making her still mask all the more eerie.

Suddenly, a red arrow flies through the air, ripping through the thin fabric of Cheshire's kimono and effectively pinning her to the wall. She isn't phased, chuckling softly. Jinx whirls around to find the old Speedy, only he looks much different. More grown up. The suit is snug, emphasizing muscles she hadn't noticed before. The colors are darker, the whole effect more somber.

"How rude of me," Cheshire says. "I haven't introduced you yet. Jinx, this is my own titan plaything. Can't remember his name, but I call him Red."

"You don't need to call me anything," Speedy tells her, nocking another arrow. His aim is deadly, and for a second, Jinx worries that he'll do something violent.

"Dude!" KF hisses. Apparently, he has the same concern. Cheshire doesn't look worried in the slightest, relaxing against the wall. Jinx doesn't understand why she doesn't rip the arrow out and fight. She has a 51% chance of taking Speedy—Red Arrow now, jinx remembers—and herself out, so long as KF doesn't reveal himself.

"Stay out of this, KF, this is my mission," Red Arrow snarls. Jinx props her hands on her hips. Jesus. She lets loose with her power, crumbling the wall Cheshire's on and forcing her to move.

"Get the data!" she tells KF. Surprisingly, he listens, not even bothering to argue.

"Hey!" Red Arrow cries, jumping out of the way as Cheshire lets loose with her knives in retaliation. Probabilities fly through her head and Jinx relishes it; it's been so long since she's been in a real. She lets hex after hex loose, but Cheshire moves like water, efficient bending out of the way of each one.

Red Arrow is the problem though, he gets in the way, forcing Jinx to split her attention between fighting Cheshire and not hitting Red Arrow. He completely disregards her, focusing all his attention on Cheshire, who uses this to her advantage.

"We need to work together!" Jinx hollers. Cheshire snickers, vaulting through the air and landing deftly on Red Arrow's shoulder. He trashes violently, but every time Jinx shoots a hex, she has to drop its probability of hitting when it skirts too close to Red Arrow.

"This is my mission!" Red Arrow repeats. "Just go! I got this, I don't need help!"

Cheshire decides to stop playing with him, twisting deftly. She's going to snap his neck with her thighs, Jinx has to save him. She lines up the hex, focusing only on the probability of it hitting Cheshire. Behind her, KF swears.

"We have a problem," he says.

"Fix it!" Jinx commands, letting loose with the hex, Cheshire twists and trashes, but the hex finds it's mark and she screams. There's a burn high on her exposed thigh, but she hasn't let go of Red Arrow yet. She twists, dragging him down and pinning him.

"That hurt!" she says petulant, like a child with a little scrape, instead of the veritable second degree burn spanning nearly a foot of delicate skin. "Kiss it better for me, Red."

Before anyone can do anything, she ducks down and captures Red Arrow's mouth in a deep kiss. Jinx gapes at the pair, frozen to the spot. KF lets out a wolf whistle. Thankfully, this jars Red Arrow out of his trance and he throws her bodily off of him. Cheshire lands on her feet, cackling, before bounding towards the windows.

"This has been fun kids, but I have to bounce!" she declares, just second before vaulting out the window. KF finally breaks and blurs out the doors, presumably to chase her.

"What the hell was that?" Jinx demands, standing over Red Arrow. "You let her go!"

"I let her go?" Red Arrow throws back in her face, leaping up red-faced. "You missed on purpose! You're double crossing us! I told Robin this would happen."

"I was trying not to hit you!" Jinx snaps back. There's a woosh and suddenly, KF is standing in front of her, a controlled smile on his face. Absently, Jinx notices how tall he is.

"She got into a helicopter," he says. "Everything alright?"

"No! Your little girlfriend just cost us the job!" Red Arrow snarls.

"Dude, what is with you?" KF demands. "You're acting totally crazy."

"You're floundering," Jinx says plainly after a beat of heated silence. "You picked Cheshire as your mark without doing the proper research and you're floundering, so you're taking it out on us." Red Arrow flushes so fast and so deep, he goes directly to puce, but thankfully, he keeps his mouth shut.

"We're just trying to stay on mission," Jinx continues. "If you would've worked with me instead of against me, we could have taken her down." Red Arrow deflates, and KF sighs, looping his arm around the older vigilante's broad shoulders.

"Dude," KF says softly. "What happened?"

"Ollie cut me off," he confesses. Jinx goes over to the computer, trying to tune out their conversation. It wasn't something she needed to be privy to. "He thinks I'm being reckless and he wants me to come home. I flipped and split instead."

Jinx focuses on the computer, trying to figure out the issue while KF soothes Red Arrow in soft tones. She groans softly; Cheshire had been here much longer than they anticipated. Apparently, she'd wiped the files after she'd downloaded them. Jinx tries every trick she has to recover the files while Red Arrow and KF move the civilians to the front lobby. After half an hour of trying, she calls it, slumping back in her chair with a groan.

"Hey," Red arrow says, catching her attention. "You were right. About Cheshire. I'm sorry."

"It's cool," she mumbles, gob smacked. Jeez, these stupid heroes and their stupid ethics and morals. "Don't worry about it."

"Robin trusts you, and KF trusts you, so I do too," he says. "I'm not part of this team, though. I have to prove to myself that I can do this solo." Jinx nods. She gets that, needing to prove self-sufficiency, needing to stomp out your own weakness. KF frowns like he disagrees.

"Look, Cheshire's been an assassin since she was seven years old," Jinx says. "This might be something you do need to get help for."

"She's my responsibility," Red Arrow says, shaking his head. Okay, scratch whatever notions she has about his maturity, he's still an obstinate idiot.

"You like her," KF declares loudly. "This isn't the first time she's kissed you!"

"Shut up!" Red Arrow hisses, losing any semblance of cool. KF waggles his eyebrows at him, blurring out of his range when Red Arrow tries to retaliate.

"I wouldn't bother," Jinx says, hiding a smile. "Cheshire's been playing with men ever since she was old enough and she doesn't do sincerity."

"Dude, seduce her to the good side," KF says, full on leering now. "Worked for me!"

"No, it didn't," Jinx counters. Heat flaring in her cheeks. A small voice in her head laughs at her.

"Well, maybe not seduce," he concedes, smiling at Jinx, wide and inhibited. Maybe not, indeed.

**A/N: Okay, I'm going to be honest, I'm not in love with the ending there, but hopefully the sentiment comes through. Also, remember how I said I loved Cheshire? Well, I'm also a sucker for Speedshire, RoyJade, Red Cat, what ever you call them. Let me know what you thought!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Posting this a bit earlier than normal, but I hope you enjoy!**

KF tries to convince Red Arrow to come back with them for a while, but they all have to cut loose at the sound of police sirens. Jinx can't help flinching at the sound of sirens and the flash of blue lights.

"Where are you going to go, man?" KF asks, leading the rag-tag trio out the back. He's got a tight grip on Jinx's hand, effectively dragging her along as he tries to move at a normal pace. Even Red Arrow's having a hard time keeping up.

"I don't know," he pants. "Cheshire is still my responsibility, and she isn't the type to be negotiated with."

"You have to try," KF says, sounding decidedly unbothered. "There's good in everyone, there has to be."

"Red Arrow's right," Jinx wheezes. "She's mixed up with the League of Assassins. Murder's not something you come back from easily."

"Well, we don't know she's killed anyone," KF argues. They make their way out into an empty alley and KF lets them breathe. Jinx slumps against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

"Why are you on her side?" Jinx asks, gasping. KF gives her a weird look and turns back to Red Arrow.

"Just give her a chance, okay?" KF says. "And the best way to do that is to stay with the Titans."

"Just because you think with your dick, doesn't mean I do," Red Arrow snarls, angry now. "I'm not a sidekick anymore—"

"Neither am I," KF says, finally losing his temper and getting in his face.

"Hey!" Jinx says. "Focus up! We lost the codes and Cheshire got away. We need to debrief and figure out who her buyer is exactly."

"And how do we do that?" Red Arrow asks, just slightly cooling.

"We give all the piece we did find to Ston—I mean Cyborg, and then maybe we can code backwards to figure out the missing pieces." The boys seem to back off at such a rational plan, but neither seems to soften.

"Whatever, you guys debrief and code while I actually catch the bad guy." With that Red Arrow takes off, sprinting deeper into the alley and hurling himself on the fire escape. For a moment, they just watch him disappear onto the roof.

"Why didn't you back me up?" Kid Flash asks, a note of petulance in his voice.

"With Cheshire? Come on, she's a total lost cause—"

"I thought you get it," he interrupts her, frowning outright now. "You of all people should get that there's good in everybody."

"No, there's not," she tells him, turning on her heel to back to the safe house. Kid Flash follows sedately for a minute, silent for once. They make it back to the safe house without any trouble, but Jinx attributes that to their civvies. No one seems to care about a couple of put-out teenagers.

Jinx settles on the couch, queuing up the parts of code they did manage to get. The more she looks at it, the less she understands. It looks almost innocuous until the notes the backdoor protocol. She's not too well versed in the programming language they're using—something she's never studied before—but she can tell that this isn't good.

"There is," Kid Flash says, pushing a café coffee cup her way. Jinx looks up in surprise; she hadn't even notice him take off.

"What?" she asks, taking a sip. It's a rich, smooth medium roast, and she sighs, surprised at how much she needed that.

"There's good in everyone," Kid Flash patiently explains. "You proved that to me."

"That's not," Jinx struggles. "Exactly what happened."

"You realized you wanted to be a hero," Kid Flash says. "You knew it was the right thing to do to help me when Madame Rouge had me."

"Not then," she says. "I don't know, I was confused, and underappreciated. Setting you loose wasn't some grand moral move, it was just a dick move that I thought would make her mad. After I did that, though, I realized I couldn't go back."

"So, what made you decide to help me? That day all the metas broke out of jail?" he asks. Jinx appraises him carefully for a moment. He doesn't look mad or hurt, just curious.

"After I left, I was at this motel," she starts. "I used to go walking at night, and I don't know, there was this girl—couldn't have been older than me—and some guy had her pinned up against a wall, and I just lost it, you know? Like I was so mad. It felt like I was powerless again, watching, but then I realized I wasn't. Does that make sense?"

"So, you needed someone to fight for?" he asks.

"Maybe? I still don't know why I'm doing this sometimes, just that it's really important and that I can help." Kid Flash beams, clearly pleased by her explanation.

"I guess that's all you need," he says. "Just knowing you can do something for other people."

"Some people don't care," Jinx tells him. It's important that he realize this, that he can't save everyone—or, Red Arrow can't. Yeah, that's what she meant.

"Maybe," he concedes. "We should try though, first, before we write them off."

"I guess," she grumbles. Flushing, Jinx turns her attention back to the screen, hitting the contact button for home base. Robin has it wired so that calls that come through on this computer are routed directly to Titans Tower. It rings for a minute before Robin's face fills the screen.

"Hey—" he starts, before he's bodily shoved out of the way by an excited Starfire.

"Friend Jinx! And the Kid Flash! You are both alright! Oh, it is most joyous to see your faces," Starfire gushes. Jinx can't help but smile back at her.

"Hey," she says. "All good in Jump City?"

"Yes! It has been quiet since your departure, but we are keeping busy," she says.

"Okay, now that we said or hello's," Robin interrupts, looking a little disgruntled. "What's your update.

Kid Flash gives him a basic rundown of what happened, letting Jinx explain the more technical things. Robin's thoughtful frown stays firm on his face while he listens, despite the facial journey Starfire is going through. It's weird to say that Jinx missed her, and Raven too.

"There's more," Kid Flash says uneasily. "We sort of ran into Speedy." He explains what happened, about Red Arrow and Cheshire, about the fight and even the kiss. Jinx chimes in about the missing pieces of code.

"Okay," Robin says slowly, seemingly trying to wrap his head around what happened. "Okay, so stay put for now. I'll pull some strings and get all travel in and out of the city halted."

"And how're you going to do that?" Jinx asks. It seems like a particularly large order. Besides, Cheshire could have already bounced. Robin scoffs.

"I know a guy," he says cryptically. "I'll check in with the rest of the team, okay. Your top priority is apprehending Cheshire and getting back that code."

"Got it," Kid Flash confirms. With that, they shut off the call. Jinx slumps back against her side of the couch, huffing out a sigh.

"She could already be gone," Jinx points out, staring at the screens of half-baked code.

"Nah," Kid Flash says easily. "I trust Rob. Anyways, do you think you might be able to track her, or maybe like narrow down the probabilities of where she might be?"

"I don't know, my powers don't really work like that," she says. "But I guess I could try. Get me a map."

KF blurs out of the room, reappearing with a huge map of Steel City. Jinx spreads it out on the coffee table, staring at it hard, focusing solely on Cheshire. Unable to help herself, part of her mind wanders to the night she met her.

She had been tucked away in her tiny cell for the night, still reeling from that day's experimentation. They'd found out she could manifest her probability manipulation into bad luck energy. They'd had her exploding bricks all day, stopping only once for Jinx to shovel down a hard cheese sandwich and a glass of water.

Cheshire, a stringy thirteen year, had rolled in with an eclectic menagerie of League of Assassins baddies. They'd bashed doors in all around her and Jinx had rocked herself, trying desperately to self soothe and try not to explode. She couldn't help it, though, and let go, letting her power burst from her.

The walls had crumbled all around her and there stood Cheshire, easing the mask off her face. She was—or still is, Jinx supposes—a weedy little Korean girl with a mane of tangled black hair.

"Woah," she'd said. "You've got some serious power."

"Who are you?" Jinx had demanded, chin up defiantly.

"You can call me Cheshire, kitten," she said. She hadn't perfected her seductive low rasp yet, but she'd mastered her swagger. "What's your name?"

"Jui," she said, suddenly uncertain. "Jui Nayak."

"No, your name," she says. "You know, not your normal person name, but your name. Like mine is Cheshire."

"Oh," Jinx had said, rocking back and forth on her heels. "Um… JN-X?"

"Huh," Cheshire had said, tapping the chin of her mask. Personally, she had thought it was creepy, still thinks it is. "Jinx. That's a cool name."

"Thanks," She'd said, already in awe of the teen before her. She'd spent four months with her, before they'd both been poached for HIVE Academy. Jinx had gone eagerly, but Cheshire had bailed. She'd never been one for teams.

"Jinx!" She jolts at the sound KF's voice, ringing loudly around her. Jinx sways, and KF's arms come around her carefully, pulling her swiftly into his lap.

"Jui," she corrects softly, slumping against him. He's so warm and solid, she can't help but burrow closer. KF rubs her back gently, settling her flush against his chest.

"What?" he asks softly.

"Um, never mind," she mumbles, suddenly embarrassed. She tries to distangle herself, but KF won't let her, his arm a tight band around her waist. She squirms, turning to see the map. It's smoldering pink, burnt away save for a single section about the size of her palm. It's probably a few city blocks around.

"That's where she is?" KF asks, hooking his chin over her shoulder. His voice vibrates through his chest and Jinx can feel it all the way through her. It's nice in a way she never suspected it might be.

"Maybe," she says. "But that's still a lot of ground to cover."

"We'll figure it out," he assures her. Jinx waits for him to let go of her but he won't. It occurs to Jinx then that this is just how some boys ask for sex. They cuddle up, all cute and non-threatening. She sighs softly, not surprised. It sucks, but she should have expected it.

"I'm not going to let you," she says baldly. Better to deal with this now and deal with the repercussions so they can focus on the mission sooner. Kid Flash's hand stills on her side.

"What? Search it? I figured we'd do it toget—"

"No, not that," she says, forcing herself to bite the bullet. "The, uh, the intimacy thing. Like… sex." Kid Flash pulls away slightly, and Jinx peeks at him. He's bright red, his head resembling a tomato.

"Uh, no, I know, um, I mean I'd never ask—not that I wouldn't want to, like I definitely—wait, but I'd like never pressure—"

"You weren't, like you weren't thinking I'd just let you?" Jinx interrupts him, heat rising to her own cheeks.

"No! You just needed me—and I didn't mean for it to feel like I was pressuring you or anything," he explains. He blushes deeper, withdrawing his arm, but Jinx stays put, trying to decide if he was sincere. She scoffs; he's not a threat. It's one of the best things about him. She can trust him unconditionally.

"I trust you," she says. It's the first time she's ever said those words and meant them. It's so fucking strange, like being stripped of everything, but safe, in a way. "So much."

"I trust you too," he says, the blush easing a little a light pink flush. "Um, I can prove it."

"What?" she asks.

"My name," he clarifies. "Um, it's Wally. Wally West."

"Oh." This information knocks her breathless and her lips part. That's a precious, precious piece of information. "Wally West."

He laughs softly while she relishes the taste of his name on her lips. It's a valuable thing that he's trusted her with. She'll never be careless with it, never let anyone take it from him.

"Nice to meet you," he says, a fresh blush rising to his cheeks.

"Mine's, um, Jui," she says.

"What? Zoey?"

"Uh, no, it's Indian, it's pronounced Zoo-ee," she explains. "Jui Nayak."

"It's cool," he says softly. "I love it."

"I can't ever let it get out," she says. "Technically, Jui died when she was five. She doesn't exist, so I guess I'm just Jinx full time."

"Well, Jui or Jinx, I lo-like you just the same," he says, stumbling cutely over his words. Jinx grins at him, ducking in close and pressing a soft kiss to his mouth. Kid Flash—Wally—smiles at her, leaning up and kissing her for real.

God, trust feels good. The kissing isn't so bad either, Jinx figures.

**A/N: Alrighty, romance isn't my strong suit, but let me know what you thought!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey guys, a bit later than usual, but it's technically out on time! Hopefully this chapter brings together some of the ongoing plot threads. **

Kid Flash—_Wally_—runs out to get them dinner, returning with arms laden with take-out bags. They eat a quiet dinner, going over notes for the case again. Tonight, Wally's wearing a thin purple tank-top that clashes horribly with his hair and low-slung sweatpants. She's huddled in one of his sweatshirts and her leggings, hair loose. Most of hangs semi-neatly past her shoulders, but tons of stands float about her head, supercharged. Wally made the mistake of running his hands through her hair and paid for it with a sharp shock.

"So, we're just missing the stuff from Cy, then," he says, slumping back in his seat.

"Looks like," she mutters absently. "He'll get it in soon."

"So, uh, I never, like, knew or anything, but what's the deal with you and Cy? Did you guys… you know?"

"No," Jinx says slowly. "He was on a mission, I guess, to infiltrate HIVE Academy, I don't know for what, probably intel about Brother Blood, but we… were on the same team."

"Were you friends?" Wally asks with an air of forced casualty.

"No one was friends with one another," Jinx explains with a snort. "We were just on the same team."

"But you liked him," Wally pushes. Jinx huffs out a sigh; she'd been hoping they might avoid this whole conversation.

"I guess I did," she concedes. "He was smart, ruthless, and powerful. Still is, I guess, though I don't know about ruthless."

"Do you… still think about him?" Jinx looks over at him, taking in the forced neutrality on his face. For a brief second, she worries about setting him off, about him flying into a temper, but he won't do that, she knows him. Whatever she says next has the potential to really hurt him.

"I think that Cyborg is smart, capable, and reliable," she says. It's the truth and there's no point in butchering it to spare his feelings. "And yeah, I had a little crush on Stone, but that's not him, and I'm totally over it."

"Completely?" Wally asks. He looks boyish in a way that makes Jinx want to climb into his lap and kiss that insecure expression off his face.

"Entirely," she says. "Turns out I have a real thing scrawny redheads." Jinx watches in satisfaction as his entire face bypasses red entirely, going plum in under a second.

"Scrawny!" he sputters, jumping to his feet. "I am not scrawny!" Jinx can't contain her laughter, giggling as Wally tries to justify himself. He starts rattling off his benching stats and Jinx loses it entirely, laughing outright, doubled over.

"I'll prove it you!" he yells over her laughter, and the next thing she knows, she's being hauled over his shoulder. Jinx gasps, still laughing, squirming to get out of his grasp, but his grip is tight and he walks her into the bedroom, depositing her squarely on the bed.

"Not so scrawny now, huh?" he challenges, looming over her. It's a compromising position, sure, Jinx isn't the slightest bit nervous when she pulls herself up, kissing the edge of his jaw.

"I like scrawny," she tells him. He scoffs, dropping his full weight onto her and wrapping her up.

"I'm jacked," he complains. "Cy's only bigger than me because he used to play D1 football."

"Uh huh," she says, trying to stave off her laughter. She jumps a little when Wally plants a kiss on her exposed neck, but it's nice. Safe. She kisses him back, whatever she can reach. It goes like that for a while, trading kisses and giggling.

Of course, Wally's communicator chime's, breaking them apart. Wally groans, stilling, but not bothering to get up.

"It's probably Robin," Jinx points out. He still doesn't bother to get up, so Jinx pokes him hard to get him moving. Grumbling, Wally troops over to the living room, plopping down on the couch and pairing the communicator to the monitor.

"Hey," Robin says, face filling up the screen. "Cyborg and his team did some solid work, they figured out the pieces of missing code from your estimations, Jinx."

"How are you sending it?" she asks, sitting up a little straighter.

"To KF's comm," he explains. "Listen, Beast Boy and Raven have been tracking a couple of villains, and they've tracked them to Steel City. They'll meet you at the safe house, but I'm sending you the files. I have to go, I have to try and talk B into giving us LoA jurisdiction."

"Good luck," Wally says, leaning back Robin narrows his eyes, taking in their casual appearances. He smirks.

"Want to fill me in on anything?"

"How's Starfire, Rob?" Wally shoots back, smirking just as wolfishly. Robin flushes at that, telling them a hasty goodbye and logging off.

"What's the deal with him and Starfire?" Jinx asks, pulling her knees up to her chest while they wait for the files to download.

"Rob doesn't exactly have the beset track record," Wally says simply. "I think he's afraid he'll mess things up with Star." Jinx knows better than to ask questions when it comes to Robin, so she just nods.

"So, speaking of track records," Wally says. "I know about Cyborg, but is there… like has there been… you know?"

Jinx sighs, because while there's no too much to disclose, it's messy and painful. She shrugs, deliberating for a moment.

"Like, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, and I'll tell you mine, but there's really not much to tell. Like I've had a few dates here and there, but the whole dating and Kid Flash thing really doesn't mix well—and thank god, the files are here!"

They're saved from having to talk further about it as Wally opens the files, first clicking on the missing code. It's an incredible piece of programming, and though it's applications can be nefarious, Jinx can't help but admire its elegance and efficiency.

"It's a learning mechanism," she gushes. "It takes the information provided by the credit card user to track their expenses, track their habits, and track their likely location within the city."

"That's not comforting to hear," Wally says, rubbing the back of his neck. "I really need to start carrying more cash on me."

"Well, that's where the pieces that we recovered come in," she explains. "It takes the transaction histories, both credit and checking, and creates a predictive mechanism. The applications of this are endless."

"Easy there," Wally says, laughing nervously. "Trying to preserve the public's right to privacy here."

"Yeah, I know," she says, flushing and waving him off. "So, who are we tracking?"

He pulls up the other files Robin sent over, scrolling through them. Jinx's heart drops when she sees the last name. Kid Kold.

Leo.

"So, speaking of track records," Jinx jokes weakly, though it falls flat. Wally looks at her in alarm.

"This guy? This… Kid Kold—what kind of stupid name is that?" he scoffs, blushing hard.

"You're jealous?" Jinx asks incredulously.

"What exactly was he to you?" Wally asks, ignoring her question entirely.

"It was during HIVE Academy, when I was fourteen," she says. "I was running away and he helped me, and we sort of became partners. We were only together for a few months, but it was intense."

"Oh," he says, deflating a little. "So, do you, I mean, do you ever think of him?"

"Not really," Jinx says. "He was getting… darker. I mean, I was a thief, but I never killed anyone, but Leo wasn't afraid to. In the end, he scared me, and I bounced before anything could happen to me. That's when I got put on my team."

"He never did anything to you, did he?" Jinx shakes her head, surprised at the ferocity of the question.

"Good," he says resolutely. "Who's this 'Ice Kate'?"

"Might be his sister," Jinx explains. "She was only twelve last time I saw her."

"She's just a little kid," Wally says. "We could probably convince her, and if not, maybe rehab or something?"

"The most important thing is taking the pieces of code they have," Jinx rationalizes. "It looks like they have one of the dictionary pieces, that defines a lot of the unexplained functions here."

"Okay, so I get the whole dividing of the code pieces," Wally says. "But the murders? I didn't get that at all."

"Okay, so when we originally came up the plan we picked these particular targets because they all fall under the same parent lender. My best guess? My old team took the plans to the League of Assassins, just modified to meet their standards. Honestly, I surprised it got picked up. The murders really don't make sense, but I guess it's an induction thing."

"So why bring in other people? Why Kid Kold, Ice Kate, and Cheshire?"

"Teams," she explains, relishing the chance to flex the strategical parts of her brain. "My old team really only works as a unit, and besides, there's more dependency that things will get done, and since their all just teenagers, it's not like they get paid the same."

"Damn, you're good at this," he says appreciatively. "Glad you're on our side."

Jinx laughs, leaning against him. They plan out how they're going to track the pair, where to meet up with Beast Boy and Raven. They work late into the night, drawing up plans while Jinx scours through her list of contacts, trying to find someone she hasn't burnt a bridge with.

She's not sure how it happens, but she ends up falling asleep, cuddled up against Wally's warm chest. She jolts awake to the sound of her phone vibrating against coffee table, but Wally, who could sleep through a hurricane, is still sound asleep.

Groggy, she reaches for the burner and answers without even thinking about it.

"Hello?" she croaks.

"Hey, kitty-cat," a familiar, silky voice croons. Jinx sharpens instantly, awake all the way.

"Cheshire," she says coolly, hackles up.

"Relax, this is a nice call," Cheshire laughs. "Now, I can't exactly give you want you want, but I can point to someone who knows where those two ice clowns are."

"You know where they are?" Jinx asks, scrambling for a pen and a piece of paper.

"I didn't say that," she says. "Pay attention, now, kitten. You'll be looking for Tigress. She's… well, she does what she likes, but she can always be persuaded."

"Of course," Jinx says, scrawling the notes down. "Where can I find her?"

"She'll be around the city," she says breezily. "She hangs around dive bars mostly. Don't bring your boy-toy around when you talk to her."

"Why not?" she asks, a touch contritely.

"She's not a fan of men, and considering the way we grew up, it's really no surprise." Jinx blinks, astounded.

"What do you mean 'we'? Are you saying you're sister's?"

"Tigress isn't exactly a fan of what I do, or me in general, but yeah, so don't bring me up." Jinx laughs humorlessly but promises to follow her instructions.

"Why are you helping me?" Jinx asks before letting her go. "What do you get out of this."

Cheshire scoffs, like Jinx caught her off guard.

"Call it one last favor, kitten," she says, aiming for her usual aloofness, but falling short. "After this, don't call me again."

"Fine." Jinx doesn't know what she was expecting, but this doesn't make sense. Before she can hang up, though Cheshire makes a soft sound that, if Jinx didn't know any better, might've been a sniffle.

"Tell Artemis," she starts, pausing. Jinx swallows hard, surprising herself. "Tell her I said take care."

"Yeah," Jinx says softly. "I will."

Cheshire doesn't say anything after, and the line goes dead. Jinx swallows back the lump in her throat, trying to conjure up memories of her own family for the first time in a very long time. She can't even picture her parents, but she has one memory.

She was maybe four or five, holding onto her mother's hand and swinging off of it, listening to the way her bangles clanked against each other. Her mother was talking to her, but Jinx couldn't remember what she'd said.

She sighs, rocking on her heels. She checks the time, groaning internally. It's too late to get any sleep, but too early to actually be awake. Jinx looks over to where Wally's sprawled out on the couch, fast asleep. His bright red hair, usually coiffed up, is plastered against his forehead. Jinx crosses over, brushing the hair gently out of his eyes.

She heads into the bathroom, quickly jumping into the shower and getting ready fast. Hopefully, she can catch Tigress, or Artemis, or whatever she calls herself. The dive bar scene in Steel City is pretty small, so hopefully, Jinx won't have to look very hard.

On her way, she wakes Wally, shaking his shoulder gently.

"Hey," he groans softly, reaching out for her. Jinx swallows back the temptation to melt into his arms and his warmth.

"I got a lead on Kid Kold, and I'm going to check it out," she says.

"I'll come with," he says, pulling himself up. Jinx shakes her head, gently pushing him down.

"You stay here and coordinate with Raven and Beast Boy. I have my burner on me, and I'll be careful."

"Okay," he mumbles, surging back up to press a kiss to her cheek. Honestly, she'd expected him to argue a bit, but it's nice that he trusts her to take care of herself and trusts her plan. "Be safe."

"I will."

**A/N: A quick note on Artemis and Spitfire. So, I just want to start by saying that I absolutely adore Artemis as a character and she deserves so much, in terms of family and her vigilante career. So, there is no Spitfire in this story and there never will be, because I've always been a Zatanna/Artemis kinda gal, and also, I don't believe in love triangle and other character's as conflicts in relationships. Let me know what you guys think!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: So, this'll wrap up the main plot, but don't worry there'll be an epilogue to wrap up some of the relationship stuff! Enjoy!**

Jinx throws a jacket over top of her uniform, shivering despite herself in the early morning chill. She makes her way to the seedy part of town. Sharpness settles over her skin, an old instinct to self-preserve. Her magic sparks at her fingers, itching for a fight.

Jinx pokes around a few bars before she finds the right one. There's a girl in the corner of the bar, dressed in a dark orange leather jacket. Jinx let's her power loose, calculating the probability that this is really her. The number skyrockets and Jinx grins.

As confidently as she can, she makes her way to the bar, taking a seat a few spaces away from her. The girl, Tigress, shoots her a discreet look Jinx pretends not to see.

"Can I get a coke?" she asks the apathetic bar tender. He sends a blank look, but complies, sliding the drink over to her half-heartedly.

"You're a little young to be here, aren't you?" Tigress asks. Her lip curls just slightly and Jinx curses internally. Tigress has clocked her for HIVE Five. She shouldn't have worn her uniform.

"Aren't you?" Jinx asks, power boiling right under the surface. Tigress shrugs, impassive with a critical eye. Jinx sighs, deciding to bite the bullet.

"Cheshire sent me," she says softly. "She said to tell you hi, Artemis."

Tigress goes still, jaw clenched. Her moment of shock fades quickly and she cocks her head.

"Oh?" she says. "You know my name, but I don't know yours."

"My name is Jinx, and yes, I was part of the HIVE Five, but that's not me anymore," she explains. "I'm working with the Titans—"

"The side-kick squad." She says with a smirk.

"Heroes," Jinx counters.

"Justice little leaguers," Tigress taunts. Jinx shrugs, decidedly unaffected.

"Cheshire said you might be able to help with a case," Jinx explains, taking a deep, fortifying breath. "We're looking for Kid Kold and Ice Kate and she said you might be able to help."

"Cheshire's helping you?" she asks, incredulous.

"Sort of," Jinx says. "She said you'd help."

"You're solving that murder case?" Tigress clarifies. "The two bankers?"

"Technically it's six, but yeah," Jinx tells her, relieved that they're getting somewhere. With a sigh, Tigress fishes out a flash drive from her jacket and passes it along.

"This is everything I have on the case and those two in particular," she says. "I, uh, have connections in high places."

"Were you part of the sidekick squad too?" Jinx challenges. Tigress flushes, which Jinx counts as a yes.

"Tell Jade," she starts, swallowing hard. "I said 'hi' back."

"I will," Jinx promises softly, pocketing the flash drive. With that, Jinx heads out, where the sun is climbing in the sky. It's nearly seven, and Wally's probably waiting up for her.

Sure enough, when she gets back, Wally's on the couch, case files up. There's a trash bag full of takeout trash, but there's a covered plate on the table for her.

"Hey," she says, slipping into the apartment and shutting the door behind her.

"Honey, you're home," Wally says with a grin. Jinx rolls her eyes, flopping on the couch. "Uh, look, about yesterday…"

"What?"

"All that stuff about like past, like, relationships and everything," he starts, going tomatoes red. "I didn't mean to push you. I don't know, I just needed to know and it all sort of came out, like I definitely wasn't planning on putting you through an inquisition or anything—"

"Look," Jinx interrupts him, embarrassment heating up her own cheeks. "I don't trust people, generally, but I want to try… I mean, you're safe."

There's an awkward moment where Jinx's afraid she's said too much. It's a lot for sixteen years old, but it's true. Wally ducks his head, a goofy little grin on his face. Blindly, he reaches out to take her hand.

"I want to be someone you can trust," he mumbles. He clears his throat, finally looking at her. Jinx squirms under his gaze. All the bravado and bluster is gone and it's just them, feelings exposed.

"The next time you ask me something too personal, I'm going to shock you into next week," she threatens, but there's no malice behind it. Wally laughs, leaning close. Jinx sighs softly and he kisses her, just a quick, chaste press of lips, but it's nice.

"How'd your thing go?" he asks. Jinx produces the flash drive setting it on the coffee table.

"I met this vigilante, I guess," she explains. "She's been tailing Kid Kold and Ice Kate, but she gave me everything she had. I guess she's going to move on."

"Who?" he asks, perking up.

"Tigress," Jinx tells him. "Why, you know her?"

"Tigress! That's crazy! She used to be one of the bad guys," he says. "You said she was a vigilante?"

"I mean, she wasn't a hero, clearly, but she's not a bad person," Jinx says, suddenly defensive.

"People change," Wally says soothingly. "Come on, we better look through this stuff. We have to meet Raven and Beast Boy too."

They spend the rest of the morning going through the files. While Tigress wasn't the most organized, she was clearly meticulous. She'd charted their coming's and going, noted their hang-outs, and whatever petty crimes they'd committed. Jinx scoffs at some of it. Leo's been sloppy.

Raven and Beast Boy call up via communicator, faces filling up the screen. Beast Boy grins wildly, clearly eager to see them.

"Hey!" He crows, snatching the communicator from Raven. "What's up?!"

"What's up, B?" Wally says, just as excited. Before the boys can derail the conversation, Jinx gives them both a sharp look. In the background, Raven smirks appreciatively.

"What's going on?" Jinx asks.

"I guess the two of them caught on we were trailing them" she explains. "They've been on a couple crime sprees, pretty small-time stuff, but every time we try and corner them, they turn it into a public safety thing." Jinx grimaces: that was actually one of her old contingencies. Basically, the plan boils down to fuck shit up and make it as hard for the titans as possible. Jinx tells them as much.

"It's hard keeping people safe and trying to catch them," Beast Boy says. "We try and split it, like one of us will do crowd control and keeping civs safe, but it's tough. Any advice?"

"Kid Kold," she says after a beat. "Focus on him and take him out. Ice Kate will probably panic if that happens." Beast Boy nods.

"I'd like to pummel the snot out of that ice freak," he says. Raven rolls her eyes.

"We need a better plan than 'beat the snot out of him'," she says. "Any progress on your end?"

"So, I guess Cheshire was hired to get one of the coding pieces, but no one's sure where it is," Jinx says. "Best guess? She defected. She's a go-where-the-money is kind of person. She probably found a better buyer."

"So, a lost cause?" Beast Boy groans.

"I think Speedy—I mean, Red Arrow, will be on her," Wally says, a hint of a smirk on his lips. Raven quirks an eyebrow.

"That'll go well" she says sarcastically. "Whatever, we just focus on the most important thing right now."

"They'll probably call for backup," Beast Boy says. "Who do you'll think they'll get."

"Okay's who's in Coast City?" Wally asks.

"Pretty much the majority of HIVE Five," Raven says. "That's why Cyborg went back to Jump City, to help Star and Robin."

"Probably Gizmo," Jinx reasons. "Maybe See-more? Or Kid Wkyyd."

"A four on four fight sounds easy," Wally says, confident.

"We'll meet you at the safe house in an hour," Raven says, a small smile on her face. Clearly, she agrees with Wally.

While they wait, Wally does another a food run while Jinx taps into the police radio and as many security systems. So far, it's quiet. Jinx picks at the pasta Wally got her, watching the system. Finally, Raven and Beast Boy show up, and Jinx talks them through the notes.

"So, they have parts of the masking codes?" Jinx clarifies.

"I mean, we got copies of it, but they do to," Raven says. Suddenly, an alarm blares and the four of them jump. Another one pops up and Jinx scowls.

"There's the backup," she mutters, rushing to shove on her boots. The four of them hurry out, spilling into the alleyway behind the building. Raven and Beast Boy agree to take the backup, peeling off. Wally, fully suited up, crouches and Jinx hops up.

Jinx holds her breath, gripping his shoulders tight as they fly through the streets. They end up in front of a jewelry store and Jinx hops down, letting her power crackle through her fingers. Leo and his sister tumble out of the broken front window, dripping with their loot. Jinx rolls her eyes; he's always had a flare for the theatrics.

"Lucky!" he cries, and Jinx flinches at that nickname. Her jaw sets and she blasts him, hard. The girl, Kate, let's loose a torrent of ice.

"Want to go halfsie's?" Wally asks. "You take the creep and I'll take the figure skater?"

"Fine by me," she says. Jinx faces off against Leo, numbers flying through her head, calculating the probability of his every move.

"Shaking up with one of the lame sidekicks?" he taunts. "What happened to you, Lucky? You're so much better than this?"

"Do not call me Lucky," she says. "Come on, Leo, you're smarter than this? What does get you?"

"Money," he says, blasting at her. Jinx leaps out of way, blasting back at him. "Power."

"Oh please," she sneers. "Like anyone's going to take Kid Kold seriously?"

"Captain," he snarls, blasting a little too close to comfort. "Captain Cold."

"Ooh, big man," Jinx taunts, blasting with deadly accuracy. She slams him against the store front, and when the girl tries to rescue him, Wally takes her down.

"I'm my own person, and I make my own choices," she tells her sharply. "I'm choosing to do good." With that, she blasts him hard enough to take him down. Jinx can hear sirens, and sure enough, police cars come roaring towards them.

Steel City PD, who are decidedly unused to having heroes in their city, arrest Kid Kold and his sister with an abundance of caution. Jinx rolls her eyes, blasting Leo's gun to pieces. There, one less thing for them to worry about. One of the deputies comes up, note pad in hand.

"So, uh, Mr… Flash, what happened?" he asks, eyeing Jinx wearily. Wally blusters and preens for the cops, then the press when they arrive. Jinx hangs back, keeping an eye out for Beast Boy and Raven. Eventually, they show up and Beast Boy joins Wally to ham it up for the cameras.

"How'd it go?" Jinx asks her quietly.

"Fine," Raven says. "Awkward, just because it took the cops a minute to realize we weren't the bad guys, but fine after that. You?"

Jinx shrugs, gesturing to the cops loading Kid Kold and Ice Kate away. Raven nods once, a wry smile playing on her lips. Finally, the boys remember that they have to report back, coming back to Jinx and Raven to take them back. Beast Boy transforms, a green hawk ripping through the sky. Raven takes off after him, just at a much more sedate pace.

"Ready to go?" Wally asks, crouching a little for her to hop on.

"Go a little easier," she tells him, scrambling up to his on his hips. Wally takes off before Jinx can take her customary deep breath and she shrieks soundlessly, the air ripped from her lungs. Before she knows it, they're back at the safe house.

"So, uh," Wally starts, pacing around and gathering his things. "Lucky?"

She groans, ignoring him for a bit while she grabs her things, shoving them into the bag.

"It's a cheap little nickname he used to call me," she says. "I hated it."

"Noted," he says, grinning sheepishly. Jinx deliberates, flushing as she contemplates her next words.

"J is…" she swallows, clearing her throat. "J is fine, I guess."

Wally crosses over to her in an instant, grinning like an idiot. She flushes even deeper, the color faint on her barely brown skin. She tries to squirm out of his grip, but it's half-hearted. Wally presses kiss to her cheeks, cooing at her until she smacks him, overcome with embarrassment. He laughs good naturedly, releasing her.

"Let's go," she says, still a little embarrassed. It's been an intense couple of days, but Jinx had enjoyed just being with Wally, even if was a little annoying. She thinks about that in the few minutes that it takes to get to Titans Tower.

This might not be her home, but she's glad to be back. Of course, it's not all good news. Robin's a little more stoic than normal. Apparently, they had to turn everything in to the Justice League, meaning it's out of their hands. Honestly, Jinx is a little relieved.

Starfire is overjoyed to see them, squeezing Jinx so tight she's pretty sure her ribs are bruised. Still, Jinx squeezes her back.

The briefing turns into a no-holds-bar video game tournament when Cyborg coaxes Robin into playing. Raven catches hers and Starfire's eyes, gesturing up. Grateful, Jinx follows up, eager for a little quiet time. As they head up, Starfire fills them in on her part of their mission.

"It was nice to spend time with Robin, but I was missing you all," Starfire admits. "Maybe now we can do the hanging out?"

Jinx laughs, nodding. Raven takes a meditative stance but smiles. Damn, it's good to be back.

**A/N: So that wraps things up! See you next time for the epilogue and let me know what you think!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey gang! Thank you so much for reading this whole thing and sticking with me. Mushy closing statements will be below, but please enjoy the chapter!**

**Epilogue**

Jinx stands outside McCormick Hall, arms crossed and waiting. For a family of speedsters, the West-Allen family is notoriously late to everything.

"Linda!" Jinx has a second's warning before Dawn barrels into her, moving faster than any three-year-old should. Jinx trips, trying to keep both herself and Dawn upright. Of course, this is completely derailed when Donny slams into her from the other side.

"Woah!" Before Jinx can topple over the toddlers, a pair of strong arms catch her around her waist. "You alright, J?"

Jinx squirms, trying to right herself in Wally's arms. Thankfully, the twins get a hint and back off. Jinx can't even be mad; they're too adorable. Mr. Allen—though every time she calls him that, he reminds her to call him Barry—hurries over, grabbing the kids and hauling them up on his hips.

"Sorry Ji—sorry, I meant Linda," he apologizes with a sheepish chuckle. "Got to remember, Linda Park."

"Thanks," she says. Linda Park was a name she'd chosen after joining the Titans, when she'd wanted more than just the hero life. It was a little bland, sure, but Jui Nayak couldn't exist in public anymore.

"Where's all my stuff, uncle B?" Wally asks. Before he can answer, Iris West-Allen, star reporter for the Central City News Circuits, huffs and puffs her way up the hill, pushing a big red cart full of Wally's things. Uncle and nephew share a panicked look before both taking off to help, albeit at a human pace.

Finally, they all make their way up to the hall, and Jinx leads them to the loading doors and the freight elevator behind the dorm. There's a line of anxious freshman, all eager to move in, and Wally blends in effortlessly. Mr. Allen claps Wally's shoulder, green eyes twinkling.

"Excited for Steel City U?" he asks. Mrs. West-Allen laughs, taking Wally's hand.

"You're going to love it," she promises. "I don't know about the biology department, but the journalism department was stellar. Tell him, Ji—_Linda,_ sorry."

"The math department is pretty great," she says. "But I'm pretty sure you're not going to be seeing too much of it."

Finally, it's their turn to use the elevator. Wally's dorm room is on the sixth floor, room 615. Freshman wander the hallways, exploring. Jinx wrinkles her nose; she hadn't liked her time in the dorms. As a sophomore, she had the liberty to live off campus. It's a studio apartment a couple minutes from east campus, where the math department is housed.

Thankfully, Wally's roommate is nowhere to be seen, so they can unpack in peace. Wally and Mr. Allen blur around the room, finishing in ten minutes. Jinx lets her powers crackle between her fingers to entertain the twins.

"Hey, why don't you take us on a campus tour," Mrs. West-Allen says excitedly. "I want to see how much everything's changed."

"Sure," she agrees easily. "If we make a circle around campus, we can go eat at this great restaurant a couple minutes from here."

It's strange for Jinx to feel so comfortable with Wally's family, but she is. They're wonderful; Mr. Allen is funny and kind, complementing Mrs. West-Allen's kick-ass and determined demeanor. She'd met them almost a year ago, after her and Wally's first mission together. It had been wholly terrifying, but they'd been extremely kind and accommodating.

At first, they'd been skeptical, but Wally had been insistent, vouching for her over and over again. He'd introduced her to so many people, which had been overwhelming, but people had been, on the whole, pretty nice. Jinx credited that to her budding relationships with their protégés.

Jinx thinks about that while they walk around campus, her hand in Wally's. He runs his thumb absent-mindedly over her skin, chattering almost incessantly. Donny's sat on his shoulders, gripping Wally's hair for dear life while Dawn, decidedly more independent, toddles along beside them, gripping Jinx's free hand.

She'd been surprised that the kids had taken to her at all, but Dawn and Donny were sweet, and they were too little to understand Jinx's checkered past. All they know is that Jinx is sweet on them and makes pretty lights with her hands.

They end up having lunch at the diner Jinx loves, and she walks them back to Wally's dorm, saying goodbye to let them have a little family time before they leave. She makes her way back to her own apartment, getting stuff ready for the upcoming semester.

A couple hours later, Wally texts her, asking to come over. She tells him yes, and to bring food, and finishes getting things ready. She's slumped on the couch when comes over, bearing a couple pizzas.

"Hey," he says, setting the pizzas on the counter and leaning down to give her a kiss. "Your door's open."

"I knew you were coming over," she says. Wally shrugs, eyes twinkling.

"I heard it's a pretty safe neighborhood," he says. "Heard there's a vigilante cleaning up the streets."

"Is that right?" she says conversationally, tilting her head at him.

"Mhm, yeah," he says, hopping over the back of her couch to join her. "There's a hot superhero out there, keeping Steel City safe."

"Jesus," Jinx laughs. "Stop being corny."

"I can't help myself," he says, sliding closer to slip a finger under her chin. "I'm in love with her."

"Guess you're in luck," she whispers. "I heard she loves you too."

Wally kisses her then, slow at first before deepening it. Jinx moves closer, swinging her leg over his lap. He pulls her even closer, one of his hands cupping her face. He strokes her cheeks, her jaw, the soft skin behind her ear.

They kiss for a while, before Jinx breaks it, leaning back to get off his lap.

"Pizza's getting cold," she reminds him. Wally pouts for a second but succumbs to siren sound of food. He vaults himself over the back of the couch at top speed, grabbing plates and serving Jinx a couple slices before loading up his plate.

Jinx snorts, fishing the remote out from between the couch cushions. She pulls up Netflix, flicking through her movie queue. On an afterthought, she turns on the police scanner she rigged up, keeping an ear out of anything that might happen.

"So," Wally says, polishing off the rest of the pizzas. "Patrol soon?"

"I guess," Jinx says. "I usually go out around eleven for a couple hours, and after that, I just keep the police scanner on."

"Sure," Wally says. "What's the route?"

"Let's split it," she says, pulling out her phone to show him a map of Steel City. "So, the docks are where things are the roughest, but the off-campus neighborhoods can be pretty nasty after midnight, especially when bars start closing."

"I'll take the city," he says. "I can cover more ground that way and you can take closer to campus. You move better undercover anyways."

"Sounds good," she says. "You have the suit?"

Grinning, Wally shows her the ring on his index finger, similar to his uncle's. He talks excitedly about the underlying mechanisms. She snuggles up against him while they finish the movie, keeping an ear out for the scanner.

After, while they patrol, Jinx can't help but notice how well this works. She keeps close to campus, patrolling closer to seedier neighborhoods. There's not much going on considering it's a Sunday night, but she does run into a couple of douchebags who need reminded that they need to display basic human decency at all times.

They wrap up around 3, figuring if nothing had happened by now, nothing was going. Exhausted, Jinx leads the way back to her apartment, pulling the bands out of her hair and slapping her beanie on. Cyborg had rigged it so it had repressors in the rim, allowing her to look somewhat normal. Her hair's even growing dark now, a ring of black at her roots. Still, she contemplates just keeping it pink. It's kind of her thing now.

They shower and get ready for bed, curling up together for the few scant hours they can get away with before student activities pick up the next day. It's so warm, wrapped up in Wally's arms. He puts out heat like a furnace.

"Love you," he mumbles sleepily.

"Love you," she echoes, shifting up to press a kiss against his jaw. She fits perfectly here, in his arms, at this school, in her new role as Steel City's Pink Protector. It's a lame name, sure, but its hers.

**A/N: Hey gang, hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you thought and thank you so much for the kudos, the comments, the favorites, and the reads! You guys are the best! If you liked this story, and maybe are in the mood to read about DC characters, and perhaps a couple Titans, tune in next week for the debut of my newest story/series. **


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